When the Red Moon Waves
by overhyberbird
Summary: A book held the secerts. Evil wanted it. Purness protected it. Just as the story unfolds...sorry summary sucks but the story is really good. trust me. New CHaracter and i own them. Yea! and just read tillt he end
1. Prologue

One day, the great god Na Mea walked through his vision. He strode through a luscious jungle and walked along a beach next to a sapphire blue sea. He hiked around a majestic snow-capped mountain and saw red-hot lava plains. He slumped through a rocky desert and rested in a system of cool underground caves. Then he awoke. Na Mea then created an island based on his vision. He also created mechanical people, Tama, and mechanical creatures who named the island after Na Mea in his honor. The Tama and the creatures then proceeded to live a life full of peace and harmony. The Tama created six villages, one in each region. Each village represented a different element of nature. And each village had a chief and his or her right and left hand Tama. Yet, little did the great god know, that his evil brother, 'A'ohe Mea, had been watching Na Mea from a distance. 'A'ohe Mea was envious of the way the Tama worshipped his brother's goodness, so he cast a spell of endless sleep over Na Mea and took over his brother's island. 'A'ohe Mea tried in vain to force the Tama to worship him. When they refused, he unleashed a powerful force of chaos. That was when the Koa came. The Koa were sent down from heaven by the seven spirits to rid of 'A'ohe Mea. The six Koa landed in the sea and the sea gently cradled them to the shore. The names of the six Koa are: Pohaku of stone, Ao of earth, Wai of water, Ahi of fire, Ea of air, and Hau of ice. Together they embarked upon the quest for the golden mask. Each Koa had one mask that allowed them to have one ability, and each Koa had to find the rest of their masks that were scattered all over Na Mea. When all the masks in one set were put together, they became one, the golden mask. When each Koa had their golden mask, they rid of 'A'ohe mea with their new power. And of course, the villages became prosperous once more. After some time, the insect-like Kohoro emerged from deep within the ground and began dealing out wreckage, devastation, and chaos wherever they went. Interestingly enough, the Kohoro's power source was also its greatest weakness. The Koa figured out that a controlling device used by the Kohoro Queens was used for communication. Yet the best way to overthrow  
  
the Kohoro was to destroy the Queens. Just when they were about to, the ground beneath them sank, dropping them into six long tubes of strange, light blue liquid. This liquid changed the Koa into the more powerful Mana Koa. After that, they never heard from the Queens again. Little did they know, six elite Kohoro had managed to slip out of their prison and decided to find a way to release their queens. The Kohoro decided to steal the symbols of the Mana Koa. Each Mana Koa had a personalized symbol that connected them to their elemental power. After the Kohoro stole the symbols, the Mana Koa started to search for them and ended up trapped with the Kohoro in the same long tubes that gave the Mana Koa their newfound powers. The final act of the Mana Koa before the tubes were sealed was to extend the connection of their symbols into the possession of 6 people of Earth. The tubes were then sealed and left both the Kohoro and the Mana Koa with no choice but to slip into a long sleep. As for the six people who received the symbols, they had no choice but to fight the Mana Koa's fight. 


	2. The Journey of Two Unlikely Heroines

Part 1  
  
Hey Ho, Tomarouv!  
The Journey of Two Unlikely Heroines  
  
1  
  
Up to now, Sora Jang thought she was like any other person. She was 13 years old, attended middle school, had brown eyes, brown hair, and was tall. But that was before she started having strange dreams. She dreamt that she was falling through a thick, dense fog. While she was falling, something on her forehead burned dully. And the annoying thing was, it kept repeating. She didn't know what it meant, but it sure meant something. Sora was sometimes klutzy and was something short of a scapegoat. But she was actually rather smart and intelligent; the only problem was her ears. They weren't shaped the way you or I would see on a person. They were shaped, in my opinion, like a deer's. It wasn't gross, her ears were shaped like that and that is all I can tell you. No one else in Sora's family had ears shaped like that. Sora told her friend, Nalo Meli, all of her troubles. Meli had dark brown eyes and hair color the shade between brown and black. Meli's bangs were the surprising color of brown. Everyone always asked her if she dyed her bangs but she insisted that the color was natural. They were outside the science wing and Meli was practicing some martial art. Meli had quite a martial art history. She had studied Karate, Tai kwon do, and Judo. "So, do you know what my dreams mean?" Sora watched Meli complete another movement. "I read that when you fall in a dream, it means that you need to go to the bathroom." Meli sat on the ground and started stretching. "But while I'm falling, my forehead burns," Sora frowned.  
"What?" Meli suddenly looked up.  
"I said, 'while I'm falling, my forehead burns.'" Sora looked at a thoughtful Meli. "What's the matter?" "Um. I have dreams like that too." Meli stood up. "But in my dream, I'm underwater and I can breathe! "  
"Okay, I fall through the air and you breathe underwater, doesn't that sound crazy?"  
"Yeah, but they keep repeating." Meli looked down," What are we standing on?"  
Sora looked down to see that they were each standing on green and blue platforms. Metal walls suddenly sprang up around them, trapping them inside long tubes. Then it was dark. "Hello, Meli, you out there?" Sora called out. No answer. "Ooh, when I get out of here I'm going to get the person who set these traps so bad." Click. The platform she was standing on swung open downward. Ironically, she fell into a thick, dense fog. Sora realized that if she really was falling, which she was, it would be no time at all before she hit the ground. Sora passed out.  
***  
Meli, meanwhile was having a much more violent experience. The tube started to fill up with water. "Umm.this is not good." Meli tried to climb up the walls, no good. The walls were too smooth and steep. The best thing she could do was take a deep breath and hold it as long as she could. And when she could not hold it anymore, goodbye cruel world. The whole tube was submerged in water when, frighteningly, there was no tube. Meli was now drifting in what seemed like the ocean and swimming around her were strange fish and kelp. Surprised, she let out all the air in her lungs. Then she took another breath. She could breathe underwater! Maybe it had to with a something burning on her forehead. Puzzled, Meli took to the surface.  
***  
Sora awoke. She was lying on her stomach, in the middle of a bright green jungle. Birdcalls came from all around Sora as she stood up. She noticed that she was wearing different clothes. Maybe from the top of one of these trees I can see all around and find out where I am, she thought. Sora was not afraid of heights, to tell the truth she enjoyed them. But how to get up the tree? As if to answer her question, a thick vine dropped down from the canopy. Sora tugged at it to make sure it was safe, then proceeded to climb up the tree. "Wow, it's beautiful." Sora reached the top of the tree and looked out among a sea of green. Shudder. The tree Sora was clinging to gave a violent shake. Crack, and tree came crashing down, Sora within its branches.  
  
2  
  
Crash! The tree hit the ground with tremendous force, taking 3 other trees with it. Sora landed on her feet lightly. When she heard the trunk break, she instinctively jumped off. "Oops, sorry about that," a small, green, robotic creature bounded out from behind a moss-covered rock. "I didn't know you were topleaf until I cut it down." "Sorry about being rude, but what, I mean, who are you?'' Sora asked.  
"Forgive me for being so lateknowing, chief Mateo has told of you. I am Kongu the Ea-Kauhalean at your service."  
"Who is chief Mateo?"  
"Let me lead you to him. Oh, and by the way, that was an everquick highjump. You must be quickdodge." Kongu nodded at Sora with awe.  
*** Meli sat on the beach overlooking the sea in which the tube had let her out. She was sitting on the shore of a lake. To her right was The Village of Wai-Kauhale. Wai-Kauhale was a small village that consisted of huts built on giant lily pads. Therefore, the village floated on the lake. Pathways that floated as well connected the lily pads. The chief of the village was named Onekama. Everybody living in the village was female, and blue. Meli was here because she was summoned here. And she knew why she was summoned too. She was not alone on this island. There were three others on Na Mea; she had to find the other two. The something on her forehead was a symbol. This symbol of hers allowed her to breathe underwater, and do so much more. Meli stood up, examining her new clothes. And her sword...it was razor sharp, the hilt was oddly curved to represent the waves of the ocean. Its pommel stone was bright blue and about half an inch at the least in diameter. In length, the sword was three feet long. Meli was very proud of her new sword. Meli turned to see chief Onekama walking towards her. "What is it, chief?" she asked. "Someone is here to see you, Meli." Onekama lifted the trident she always carried as a sign of office. "Come." As Meli entered Onekama's hut, a figure jumped up and greeted them. "Nalo Meli, I thought it'd be you!" Meli retuned the greeting, "Sora Jang, umm.how'd you find me?" Sora hefted a sword. Meli saw that it was as sharp as hers and had a hilt made of strips of metal forged into curious curves and shapes. A large jewel was set into the hilt. "Chief Mateo said you would be here." "Ahhh, I see you two are friends," Onekama cut in. "This shan't be too hard at all." "What won't be hard?" asked Meli. "Let me tell you. Now that I won't be needing to introduce anyone, I will get on with the point. Here is what you must do, there is a book hidden among the island. It is called 'the Sacred Book of Apu.' It contains so much information about the island that some say that it was written by Na Mea himself.'' "Why should we find the book?" Asked Sora. Onekama answered without hesitation. "There is a group of people, headed by a person they call Inaina. Inaina and his followers wish to use the secrets of the book for themselves." "So if Inaina uses the book to control Na Mea, then he can use it to take over the rest of the world." Finished Meli. "The only glitch is." Onekama said slowly. "That there are supposed to be three of you at the present. The third one, Helios Rim, is under Inaina's control."  
  
3  
  
"What!" Yelled Sora. "That's terrible!" Shouted Meli. "Where is he?" "Before I tell you that," Onekama calmly answered. "I must tell you about Inaina. Inaina is rumored to have come from 'A'ohe Mea, the god of nothing. So do not be surprised if you notice any similarities between them. Inaina is the leader of a vast horde of malformed creatures. He has the technology to capture and control anything, anytime, anywhere. He does it with mass- produced infected masks. The mask's powers go deep within the mind, ensnaring the senses, blocking out feelings like pain and sorrow, boosting the physical power, and taking complete control of one's body. I am sure Helios is being controlled by one of these. "Inaina controls an army of, maybe about 500 score vermin. All cold-blooded killers." "Just 500?" asked Sora. " Shouldn't be too hard for powerful beings like us, -" "Sora, Onekama said '500 score." Meli did a quick calculation. "That is about. 10,000 vermin!" "Oh, @#$%." Yelled Sora "How did he get such an army?" "Watch Thy language, Sora." Onekama frowned. " 'Twas said to be a present from 'A'ohe Mea." "So, where is Helios?" Asked Meli. "To the South of Na Mea, there are two lesser known islands; Kufana and Loa. And beyond that, even further down South, there lies the dark continent of Tomarouv. It is there that Inaina dwells. If thou finds the Sacred Book of Apu first, thee can use it somehow to help free Helios Rim." "Alrighty then," Meli stood up. "We should start tomorrow. We'll take some supplies in a pack, travel south to Ea-Kauhale, take a boat out to the two islands, and then, well, we'll think of something." "Very well," sighed Onekama. "I shall have Mako ready your supplies while you sleep." "Why should we sleep now?" asked Sora after Onekama left. "It's noon!" "Exactly," answered Meli. "We will start our journey at night, where nobody sees us."  
  
***  
  
Sora woke up stiff, cold and hungry. Looking out the hut window, she saw nothing but stars and darkness. Turning around, she saw Meli closing a bag, which didn't seem stuffed, or heavy at all.  
Onekama walked into the hut, carrying another pack. She tossed it to Sora saying; "thy food is good for long treks. It is made of dried fruit and berries stuffed into a farl of oat and rye bread, which has been soaked well in honey. Thy can walk all day on just a few mouthfuls, providing there is water to drink. I have sent word to Ea-Kauhale about your coming. South is to the left of the main gateway. And if thou must fail." Onekama smiled at Sora. ".I will take the fact that I will never see you two again."  
"Don't worry, Onekama," Meli bent down to shake Onekama's hand. For the blue being barely came past Meli's knees. "I'm sure everything will go fine."  
"Yes, thank you for your hospitality, Onekama." Sora bent down to shake her hand as well before following Meli out the gates. Turning left, they headed out onto the long trek down south.  
  
4  
  
"Beyond Na Mea, beyond the islands Kufana and Loa, there lies the continent Tomarouv. It is this continent that I, Inaina, rule with an iron fist. I alone command a horde of 10,000 soldiers. It is I, who founded this teeming metropolis and continues to make sure all of my people are fit. Everyone here is permanently within debt to me. If I see any form of disobedience among my soldiers, I could make them scream half a season afore the traitors die." (A year on Tomarouv is split into the four- seasons. Everyone there counts seasons as years 13 years of age count as 52 seasons old.) Inaina laughed hysterically. "HA HA HA HA!"  
Two common soldiers of Inaina's were on duty guarding his chamber. "Err.step away from the door there, messmate." One said to the other. "The chief's in one of his crazy moods."  
*** Allow me to explain. On Tomarouv, there was a major city called, Kauha. Nice name, huh? Out skirting Kauha, there were small farms and towns. Outside of the farms and towns, there were only dead plains and gray mountains. Whether it was a good scene to look at, or not, is entirely up to you. Right, smack-dab in the middle of Kauha was Inaina's domain. It was a castle, quite big, but it was cold, damp, dark and gloomy inside. It was the castle of the Kayan. It had everything a basic castle needed. But Inaina's chamber was a different matter, the room actually had some heat, and it was rigged with a lot of monitors, radios and a huge lab. The one characteristic that Inaina's chamber shared with the rest of his castle was that it was dark. Not even torches, or candles were lit in his chamber. So, nobody knows whom Ina'ina looked like. The reason Inaina had so much monitors is that he had rigged his whole domain with cameras. And the reason he had so much radios is so he can receive information from spies stationed throughout his kingdom. Inaina's army was made up of druids; druids who were human looking, cruel, bloodthirsty little cowards who would destroy the world if they had the brains to. Inaina had always wanted a dim-witted army to help him control the world. Inaina called out to the two guards standing outside his chamber.  
"Bring me Kanaka and Helios Rim. I have instructions to give them."  
*** The sun beat down on Sora. She and Meli had walked for six hours along the sea and had reached the border of a huge jungle. She was hot, tired, and thirsty. "I think we should stop now, we've been walking for hours."  
"Okay, we'll rest here." Meli sat down and unpacked the food. "Let's eat."  
They both came upon the food like they were facing a seven seasons famine. Yet it was Meli who did most of the food justice.  
Sora packed the little food they had left. "You eat enough food to feed three horses. Are you all stomach?"  
Meli took a long draft from her canteen. "It's a gift. Some people said that I'm like a bottomless well; whatever you do, you can never fill it up." Meli looked around. "Should we go to Ea-Kauhale?''  
Sora started walking. "Yes, but I'll lead the way. I know my way around the jungle of Ea-Kauhale."  
  
5  
  
Inaina sat alone in his chamber, frowning at the task that lay before him; one of his soldiers had become rebellious, and had taken a small group of 99 soldiers against Inaina. Inaina called out toward his door. "Bring in the rebels." A rather large group trooped in. Kanaka, being the personal assistant of Inaina, came in to witness the scene. Inaina's face was hidden, as always, under a heavy black hood. "Why have you turned against me?" Byral, the leader of the group, spoke out, "Because we got no food, no shelter, an' . an' no proper uniform!" it was true, even if the soldiers were androids they still needed food. It was a glitch 'A'ohe Mea had not fixed. Inaina sighed and shifted in his seat.  
"Hmm. Well, I might regret this but oh well. Seize them!" Soldiers popped out of the dark corners and surrounded the rebels. "Take them away and give them fifty lashes each," Ina'ina yawned with boredom. "I will give them their fate tomorrow."  
***  
At dawn, the whole of Inaina's army was assembled in the courtyard. Eagerly awaiting Inaina, Some were chatting eagerly among themselves. "Ya remember what Chief did ter the last batch o' turncoats?"  
"Yea, he said they'd be free to go if they flew like birds and he tossed them all off a cliff."  
"No, thas what he did to half of them. The other half he had thrown into the sea tied in bags laden down with rocks.''  
"What was his excuse that time?"  
"He said that if they were able to escape, they'd be as free as the fishes!" Inaina strode up onto a balcony above the crowd. He wore a black robe and over his face he wore a mask of wood. The crowd fell silent. "Bring them out."  
Over a single drumbeat the prisoners came out. Rattling the chains they wore, they were knocked by spear butts onto all fours. The soldiers of Kaya pressed forward to hear Ina'ina's announcement.  
"Let these wretched fools serve a lesson to anyone who thinks Inaina is someone to cross. They are traitors and cowards, but I am not going to order them slain. No! I will give them a chance to show us all that they are warriors. They will journey to the north, conquering all the northern lands and bringing back the two other Koa. When I am through speaking, they will start their noble task. They will be escorted out of the city, to the shores of Tomarouv. And there they will be left on their own to defend themselves. I am Inaina. I have spoken!"  
The prisoners groaned. Jeers and loud roars came from the crowd. It took 100 Kayan soldiers to take on Helios Rim, there was no way the same number of soldiers could contain 2 Koa. But there was no turning back now. All the Kayan soldiers were pushing the prisoners out the iron gates of the castle.  
  
6  
  
The jungle was thick with vegetation. Vines, leaves, and tree roots littered the bottom. Meli found it rather hard to move around in the jungle. She kept stumbling over tree roots and branches and ferns scratched her face, arms, and legs. Sora, however, walked along like she didn't have a care in the world. Meli tripped on a rock and fell flat on her face. Splat!  
"Oww. That hurt, why do I fall on my face and you don't."  
Sora turned around and helped Meli up. "I don't know, but I think it has to do with a sort of power chief Mateo was talking about. I can control all kinds of plants!"  
  
"You mean, like the way I can summon and control water?"  
"Yes, do you see that fern over there?" Sora pointed to a fern a few feet away. "Watch." Sora raised her hand toward the fern and the leaves started swaying, as if there was a breeze moving it. The air around them, however, was completely still. Sora then raised her hand higher, and a strong wind began to blow.  
"Cool, huh?" Asked Sora after she put her hand down. The jungle was still once more.  
"Yes, it was. I noticed something on your forehead while you were doing that." Meli brushed off her shins.  
"What was it?" Sora instinctively touched her forehead.  
"It was some kind of crest, or character, or some rune.Oh, it's gone now." Meli watched Sora caress her forehead one last time. "When will we reach Ea-Kauhale?"  
Sora started walking again. "We won't reach it tonight; Ea-Puni is a big region. The fastest way to get there is to cut through the swamp."  
"There's a swamp?"  
"Yeah, we'll know we're there when we start seeing Hoi Turtles flying around."  
***  
The rebel Kayan soldiers stood shivering in the wind. Dark, foreboding, rain clouds rumbled overhead. They had been waiting at the shore of Tomarouv for a long time, wondering what to do next. Then, a figure appeared further down the beach and walked towards them. The figure was dressed in a silvery-white cloak and the shirt and pants of a Kayan officer's uniform. All the soldiers recognized the being as Helios Rim and moaned in despair.  
"Is that the way you act in front of an officer?" Helios snapped out. "Straiten up the ranks and stand to attention. Move it!"  
"Are you gonna kill us, sir?" asked Byral.  
Helios' mad-looking eyes stared at the lot of them through the eyeholes of an infected mask. "I would love to, but no, I have a better use in mind for you."  
"What're yer gonna do wid us then, sir?"  
Helios whipped out a sword from out of nowhere. Its blade was forged in a weird way; like the forger took a square stones and hammered them into the blade all in a row, then took them out. There was no hilt and the unbound, crystal handle was decorated with strips of polished silver. The tip of this dangerous blade was inches away from Bryal's right eye and holding its handle was Helios.  
"Maybe if you shut your loud mouth, I could explain." Yelled Helios as he sheathed his sword. "As Inaina probably told you all, you are to fetch the two remaining Koa. I am here to command you. I have several ships waiting to your right, who here was assigned to the sea division?"  
All of the soldiers raised their hands.  
"Good! Good! Then everything will go smoothly. Load the ships and set course due north!"  
  
7  
  
Sora and Meli sat against the trunk of a tree, overlooking the swamp of Ea-Kauhale. The swamp itself was smelly, mucky, and well, swampy. Trees grew out of the swamp from every angle.  
"The Ea-Kauhaleans say it's like quicksand." Sora watched the greenish, bubbling surface.  
"That's just gross." Meli watched a large bubble pop, exhaling a smelly scent. "If you fall in.well, what a way to die. How do we get across?"  
"Easy," Sora stood up and started to climb the tree. "We climb from tree limb to tree limb, going across the swamp and to the other side."  
"Umm, Sora, I'm not the kind of person who actually likes heights."  
"Oh, I know." Sora stood on a sturdy branch and stepped toward another one. "Just try it, it's fun."  
"Okay."  
***  
"See? That wasn't so bad." They had crossed the swamp and were now walking toward the village of Ea-Kauhale. Hoi turtles flew overhead as they stepped into an elevator. When they got out, Kongu leaped toward them.  
"Hello again, welcome to the treebright village of Ea-Kauhale."  
"Treebright?" Meli looked puzzled.  
"It's an Ea-Kauhalean term." Sora explained. "Almost all their terms are slang."  
"The Chief would like to talk to you both." Kongu led them into a room in one of the buildings.  
Chief Mateo was like Onekama, tall enough only to pass the knees and holding a special staff as a sign of office. "Sit down, sit down." Meli and Sora sat down upon thin cushions set upon the floor. The green chief sent Kongu out on a task and then sat down on a mat in front of the two of them.  
"Well, do you want to ask me anything, anything at all?"  
"Yes," Sora spoke earnestly. "When we unleash our powers, a something shows up on our foreheads, what are they."  
"Good question," Mateo paused. "To answer that, I will have to start at the beginning. You were summoned here because Na Mea is in danger, and you are the people who were chosen to save it. The beings that chose you have been missing ever since they have started to track down the Kohoro. The beings that chose you were the Mana Koa. The Mana Koa's elemental powers were connected to a personalized symbol. The symbols on each of your foreheads are different because a different Mana Koa chose you each. You, Meli, you were chosen by Wai Mana, the Mana Koa of water. And you, Sora, you were chosen by Ea Mana, the Mana Koa of air. Hau Mana, the Mana Koa of ice, chose Helios. Your powers reflect the Koa that chose you. For instance, Wai had the power of breathing underwater, and Onekama has the power of translation, the symbol on Meli's forehead shows that she has those powers, in addition to the power of summoning and controlling water, Meli now can do an amazing variety of gymnastics."  
"Wh-what?" Meli gasped out.  
"And Ea," Mateo went on. "Ea had the power of levitation, and I, Mateo, have the power of illusion. So, since Sora has Ea's symbol, Sora can now summon and control wind, control any plant, cause illusions, and fly."  
"Wow, now I feel invincible." Sora grinned.  
"Yes, both of you are equally powerful." Mateo smiled at Sora. "At dawn, you will have to travel somehow to Loa. In Loa, there is a small company of thirty-five Tama who have volunteered to defend the southern coast of Na Mea. They have reported to see several ships full of Kayan soldiers, one hundred soldiers in all. By the way they were handling the ships, some say they were retired corsairs. There has been another figure seen on the ships, possibly Helios. I take it that the Tama front might need some help."  
"Yes, we'll help." Meli blurted out.  
"Very well then." Mateo looked out the window to see the stars winking in the sky. "You will have to stay the night. There is a room three stories up, you can stay there."  
  
8  
  
Helios stood on the stern of the ship he was commanding. The former captain Bryal was head of the other ship. There were three ships in all. However, the ships were moored of the coast of Loa with the Kayan soldiers disembarking to the shore. Helios jumped off the stern. "Alright, here's what we'll do. All of you will go one way; strait to the camp of the Tama, conquering the camp but keeping the Tama alive for ransom. Meanwhile, I will search for the other Koa. When I find them, I'll 'persuade' them to give me the Sacred Book of Apu. They have to have it on them somewhere."  
Bryal rapped out orders. "Right then, me 'earties. Yew 'eard the capin'. take the Tama crew fer prisoners and the capin' will do the rest 'imself. It's back ter the ole Freebootin' way." The whole of the vermin crew went off, shouting, laughing, and fingering their cutlasses and daggers. Helios narrowed his eyes in the direction they left.  
"Blockheads, they'll give everything away." And with that, he ran into the forest.  
***  
Sora landed lightly on the northern side of Loa. She had flown over with Meli's weapons, sleeveless gee, and belt. Meli was swimming over, and to her (and any other sensible warrior,) it was not right to get your weapons wet. Sora looked over the still surface of the water wondering where Meli was when a small figure bounded out from a bush. It was a Tama, a blue Tama.  
"Hello, my name is Coleo. Welcome to the island of Loa. And you are?"  
"My name is Sora. Are you one of the thirty-five Tama who are acting as the southern guard?"  
"Yes, I am. The guard is made up of volunteers from all over Na Mea, so being in the camp is like being in the middle of a culture clash." Coleo looked around. "Where is thy comrade. is she not with thee?"  
Sora cast an eye over the ocean once more. "She'll be here soon." Sora heard screaming, yelling, and the sounds of metal against metal. The sounds of chaos. The sounds of battle.  
"Grookaw!" Yelled Coleo. "The camp is under attack!"  
Sora immediately dropped Meli's weapons for Meli herself to pick up and started running after the nimble Coleo. Together they rushed into the heat of battle.  
***  
Kanaka stood in Inaina's chamber, awaiting the orders he was to receive. Inaina stretched leisurely in his chair, "Tell me, Kanaka, what would make my army stronger?"  
Kanaka shifted his feet. "We could look for the Bohrok, sir. Or we could go to the very south." Inaina suddenly leaped up out of his seat. In a quaking rage, he grabbed the neck of Kanaka and slammed him against the floor. Then he proceeded to beat his advisor, punctuating each word with a blow to Kanaka's head, neck, and chest.  
"Don't let me hear you saying that again! You worthless, useless piece of trash! We stay away from that cursed, southern region. I don't want to end up like my fool brother. You remember what happened to him! He died! He was defeated, killed, slain! By that. that." Inaina picked up a half-conscious Kanaka and shook him violently. "That. Man! My brother was defeated by a man! A mere mortal! Aye, and we stay away from his family too!" Inaina flung Kanaka out of his chamber. Sitting in his chair, Inaina faced his many monitors. One of them was showing Sora in battle, slaying and felling Kayan soldiers like she had been doing it all her life. (Yes, Inaina's soldiers were rigged with cameras too.)  
Inaina watched Sora, pondering, and muttering under his breath. "Hmm. Oddly familiar the way she handles that sword. Looks familiar too. What did I say to Kanaka? 'We stay away from his family too.' I wonder."  
  
Part 2  
  
The Healing of Helios Rim  
  
Finding The Sacred Book of Apu  
  
9  
  
A sopping wet Meli sloshed her way up the rocky shore of Loa. Looking around the edge of the forest, she saw her weapons, knapsack, and sleeveless gee on the ground. Where was Sora? Meli dried herself off and put on her gee, well aware of the presence of another person. Drawing her sword, Meli shouted out, "Who are you? Show yourself!"  
Helios Rim stepped out of the shadows. "My name is Helios Rim. And you." Helios' crazed blue eyes starred at Meli through the holes of a rusted scratched mask. ".You are Nalo Meli."  
Meli's face remained blank. "What do you want with me?"  
Helios unsheathed his sword. "You have something I want.the Sacred Book of Apu.you have it? Yes?"  
Meli leveled out her sword. "I don't possess such a book."  
"Oh yes you do." Interrupted Helios. He raised his sword. "I guess I'll have to drag it out of you." An amused chuckle came from behind the mask. "Are you going to flee, Koa of water? I'd still pursue you. Ah well, die like a warrior!" And then, he charged.  
***  
Sora's battle was over in a short time. The Tama front was the victor. Captain Bryal was the first one to flee when he saw Sora fight. Only then, after the battle, did Sora take stock of her surroundings; there were tents all around, most were fine, but several had collapsed and two were on fire. There were Kayan soldier corpses everywhere and a few wounded Tama. Coleo had been right; there were Tama here from all over Na Mea. Blue Tama, white Tama, green Tama, black Tama, red Tama, and brown. All in the same place. Coleo bounded out from under one of the collapsed tents. The small, blue creature was holding a spear.  
"You fight well, tall one. Was this your first battle?"  
Sora wiped her sword on the grass. "Yes. I guess having fencing lessons from Meli really helped."  
Coleo looked around. "Where is Meli? Methinks thy friend should have come by now."  
"I think you're right. We should go look for her."  
Coleo tugged at Sora's pants. "Then we should talk to Chronicler. He should know what to do."  
Chronicler was the head of the front. He was sitting on the grass with a few other Tama, having a conference. Coleo approached them cautiously, but it was Sora who spoke up.  
"Umm, hi. My name is Sora Jang. you said that the front needed help?"  
A white Tama jumped up and seized Sora's hand, shaking her hand heartily. "Och, well, by the noo. Awa' wi' ye, lassie. Ye helped us out right enough. Me name's Tamm. Short fer Tammello So'o Toufana. But Tamm'll do just fan.  
Chronicler was a multicolored Tama. He gently pulled Tamm away and shook her hand himself. "Many thanks to you, Koa. We would not be here if you did not come."  
Sora smiled down at him, "I didn't do that much."  
"Oh really? Why so modest? You swung that sword of yours around like a seasoned warrior! That's why I knew you were a Koa, that and Koa are usually three times taller than Tama."  
Coleo tapped Chronicler's shoulder. "Sir, Sora says there is a missing Koa about by the name of Meli. She would like to look for her."  
Chronicler suddenly looked worried. "I see.we have to start looking for her right away! Sora, you can take Coleo and Tamm and scour the northern shore. I have to stay here to take care of the camp. That is my job as head of the front."  
***  
Tamm peered into a bush and said, "Jings, ah'll have tae look fer hour's if'en we want tae fin' the lass, d'ye ken?"  
Coleo's head popped out from behind a boulder. "Oh, I ken all right. Sora, methinks thy would rest now, 'tis been hours."  
"No, I can't." Sora started to run toward the clearing where she dropped Meli's weapons. She ran into a scene of past chaos. There was nobody there, but the nearby trees and the ground were scratched up. The branches were broken and a small boulder near the shore was split in two.  
"Grookaw! What happened here?" Coleo and Tamm walked into the clearing.  
"Ah think et was a struggle whit took here." Tamm looked around, his former humor fast deserting him. "Lookit the ground, not only is there scratches, there's blood.lots of blood.so much blood there's." "Okay!!" Coleo interrupted. "We get the point." Sora spotted a light further down the shore. "Wait here, I see something." She ran toward the light and soon discovered the source. It was Meli's unsheathed blade, reflecting the light of the sun. It seemed like the bottom of Sora's stomach dropped out. Her fears were confirmed when she saw an unconscious, beat-up Meli.lying facedown underneath the shade of a tree.  
***  
Helios Rim chuckled to himself as he walked to the southern coast of Loa. After he defeated Meli, he searched her knapsack for the book. He found nothing, only some food, a canteen, a cloak, a dagger, and a slingshot with a small sack of pebbles. That was when he left.  
As he walked, he plotted to himself. "The girl was telling the truth. Maybe I'll have to look for the other one. She might have the book." He stumbled upon the soldiers of Kaya. They were on the ships, preparing to set sail. Helios yelled out. "What the blazes are all of you doing?"  
Bryal leaned over the side of one of the ships and yelled back. "Sorry, sir. This ain't all of us, only fifty of us. So we're leavin' an' never comin' back."  
"Where are you going?"  
"We're goin' down ter the very south. We're goin' ter be corsairs again. Like in the good ol' days."  
Helios became alarmed. "Don't be a fool! We all know what's in the south!"  
Bryal curled his lip defiantly. "Yeah, but you've never been over there. These three ships are mine now; I'm a captain again. There's nothing you can do to stop me, right mateys?" The crew roared out.  
"Aye, captain!"  
Bryal laughed at Helios. Then he turned and walked into the captain's quarters. Helios watched the ships sail off into the distance. Then he called out something nobody on the ships could hear. "Fools! You're all fools!"  
  
10 Sora fell to her knees and turned Meli over. "Oh, $&*#. Meli, are you alive?" She knew it was a dumb question, because Meli was unconscious. Sora groped for Meli's wrist and found a pulse. "Good, you are alive." She then called back toward the trees. "Tamm, Coleo, go back to the camp and tell Chronicler that I found Meli." Sora forced Meli in an upright position.  
  
Meli's gee was dirty, torn, and stained with blood. Her arms and legs were scratched and bruised. Sora found Meli's knapsack a few feet away, the contents strewn all over the place. She picked up Meli's canteen and dumped the water all over Meli's head. Meli shuddered and moaned. "Oww. Oh, hi Sora. Strange, there's three of you. Were you cloned?" Sora guessed that Meli was temporarily disoriented. Nevertheless, she asked, "No. What happened to you?" Meli's vision was clear now. "I don't feel like talking about that now." "Then tell me later." Sora stood up. "Can you walk? We need to go somewhere." Meli's face was pale. "I don't think so. My left leg really hurts." "Here." Sora helped Meli up and handed Meli back her sword. "You can use your sword as a walking staff. I found the camp that chief Mateo was talking about. There's a lot of nice Tama there."  
*** It was nighttime. Helios sat, hidden, in the fork of a tall oak. From this position he could see all of the Tama camp. He had been sitting there for a long time, since noon. Helios saw the Tama douse the smoking tents with water. He saw the wounded tended by the healers of the camp. That didn't interest him. What did interest him was the sight of the two other Koa. One was badly hurt, she was sent into one of the tents. A white Tama led the other one into the officer's tent. Helios was certain that Sora had the Sacred Book of Apu, and he was not about to give up.  
  
11 Sora woke up the next day to find the tent empty. She walked out and Coleo greeted her enthusiastically. Meli waved at Sora from her seat on a log next to the cooking fire. Sora immediately strapped on her sword and sat down between them both. "Are you okay?" Meli nodded. "Yup. All the scratches and bruises are gone. All that's left is my left leg," Meli touched her leg, which was braced with two sticks and strips of cloth. "I think it's fractured or something." Coleo handed them beakers full of strange liquid. "So what happened?" Meli looked away. "Do you really want to know?" In unison, Sora and Coleo nodded their heads. Meli took a deep breath and began to talk; "When I walked up the shore, I saw my stuff on the ground. When I armed myself, I got the feeling that I was being watched. So, I drew my sword, turned around, and saw Helios Rim. He asked me if I had the Sacred Book of Apu, and I said I didn't have it. But he really thought I had it, so he started beating me up. I did everything I could to defend myself.I even tried to run away. But I couldn't." Meli took a pause and covered her face with her hands. "He threw me around like a rag doll, like I was nothing, and when he slammed me into a tree, I heard this crack and felt all this pain in my leg." Meli uncovered her face and stared at the ground. "I guess that's when I got this. I mean, my fractured leg." Then she added, "That's when I also lost consciousness." Sora was shocked. "That's not right, what he did." "Oh, you mean beat up a comrade? Remember, Sora." Meli sipped from her beaker. "Helios is possessed by an infected mask. His emotion and sense of right and wrong is restrained by the parasite. His skill, strength, and speed is controlled and heightened greatly by that mask." Meli drained her beaker. "But I kinda agree with you, because he could fight it." Meli looked at her empty beaker. "What did I just drink?" Sora looked at her beaker. It was filled with semi-thick, pale-blue liquid. "Oh yeah, Meli. Drink out of a cup filled with something you don't even know about." Coleo too, had a beaker. She drained it with just one gulp. And said, "Tis called Protodermis. Protodermis is the stuff of life here in this dimension. Yes, we eat food, but one cup of Protodermis is enough to fill one's stomach and give one full strength for one full day." Sora sipped the liquid mineral. It tasted kind of sweet, like watered down honey. Meli asked for a second beaker of Protodermis. "If one cup of this stuff is supposed to fill the stomach, then how come I need to drink more?"  
*** Helios cursed silently to himself from his position behind a bush. He could not find his sling. His plan was to shoot down Meli. Helios cursed again, his eyes were on the uninjured Koa. Not only because of her ears, but also because he was certain that her eyes flickered in his direction. If he was to slay Meli, he was to find his sling, fast.  
  
12 Sora indeed had looked in Helios direction, and she saw Helios himself. She nudged Meli and nodded in Helios' direction. Meli took a swig from her third cup of Protodermis. "Don't look, and act casual, or he'll suspect something. The poor fool, he thinks he's hidden, but because of what he's wearing it's like picking an apple out of a bowl of oranges." Meli gave her cup to a Tama doing dishes and stood up. She strapped on her sword and hefted a wooden walking stick in her left hand. Sora stood up as well. "If Helios is targeting us, he's going to have to do some serious damage to the camp. We need to get away from here." "That's what I was thinking." Meli suddenly looked at Coleo, who had heard every word. Coleo shuffled her feet. "Can I come too?" Sora bent down and touched Coleo. "I'm sorry, Coleo. No, you cannot come. It's too dangerous. You have to stay here and tell Chronicler everything you have just heard. We'll be back, I promise. Is that okay?" Coleo looked up. "Methinks so." Meli smiled down at the small being. "See you later, Coleo." Sora patted Coleo's head. "Bye, Coleo."  
*** It was noon. The sun cast its rays over Sora and Meli, who stood in a clearing a good distance away from the camp. On their right, the ocean glimmered. To their left, a group of large boulders stood like a wall of mountains. The rest of the borders were trees. Helios jumped out from behind a tree. Meli drew her sword in a blink of an eye. "Why were you sulking around the camp?" Helios smirked. His blue, mad eyes narrowed behind his rusty, scratched-up mask. The gray uniform he wore clashed with his blond hair. "Bold words, short one. Coming from one who was defeated." Meli scowled. "We have to give everything we've got in our first blow, at the same time." Sora drew her sword. "Ready, go." Boom. A sound like and explosion shattered the air. Dust, sand, and pieces of rock flew everywhere. Sora was thrown backward. Before her sword touched Helios, he sent out a considerable amount of energy. He was, indeed, powerful. Looking through the settling dust, Sora saw a deeply disturbing sight. Meli's sword struck a tree, blade first. Helios held aloft Meli herself, his hand enclosed her neck. Meli gagged. "Oh, $@#&." Sora yelled. She watched helplessly as Helios tossed Meli aside. Meli sat up painfully and gripped her left leg. "I can't stand up!" Meli gasped out. Helios charged toward Sora. "Hah, you're next." Clang. Sora met Helios' charge. The sound of steel against steel echoed around them as they began to fence. Meli watched the bout, scared for her friend. Swords whipped around between Sora and Helios as they moved around. Surprisingly, they were equally matched. Meli had taught Sora well, but not well enough. With a simple twist, Helios disarmed his opponent and sent Sora's sword spinning into the same tree as Meli's. Sora nursed her wrist and backed away. Helios sheathed his sword and dropped his sword, scabbard and all, onto the sand. Then he raised his fists in a ready position. "Now we get to fight manually." From experience, Meli knew what was coming. "Punch him!" she shouted. "Don't wait for him to make the first swing, he'll beat you up!" "Wh-what?" Meli shouted like a crazy person. "Punch him! At least get that mask off of him! But don't wait, or he'll beat you to a pulp like he did me!" Sora's first thought was to get her sword, but Helios would cut her off. So, she made a fist. "Okay, if you say so." Sora made a swing at Helios' head, but he ducked and grabbed Sora's arm in a grip of iron. Sora kneed Helios hard in the stomach. It had the opposite effect. Instead of doubling over and letting go of Sora, he looked up and sneered at her. He then easily threw her single-handedly into the rock wall. Sora hit the rock wall with a considerable amount of force. She staggered to stand up, clutching her left arm. "He's strong, and he's fast too." Helios walked over and leaned on the wall. "Heh, am I too strong? Aww, what a pity." When he walked over, he had picked up his sword and now he drew it casually. "I think I should slay you right here and now, don't you think?" Helios raised his sword. Crash. Meli came out of nowhere and stopped Helios' sword from harming Sora with her own. "Your fight is with me." Helios backed off and walked toward the middle of the clearing. "As you wish, short one." "What did you call me?" Meli gritted her teeth as she limped toward Helios and swung her sword. Now it was Sora's turn to worry. Meli's leg kept her from moving around as fast, yet she gave as good as she got. Helios swung his sword as best as he could, but he could not see an opening. Helios' determination to slay Meli and Meli's incredible skill made them fight harder. Soon, they were kicking up sand and whipping their blades around so fast, that the sun's light made the opponents look like they were each wielding three swords. Sora ran over to the tree that her sword had struck and pulled her sword from the tree. Meli's leg could give way any second and then, Helios would kill her on the spot. Turning around, Sora saw Meli step to the side and cut Helios in the shoulder. Blood spurted out from the open wound, but Helios acted like nothing happened. Sora then realized something. He can't feel pain. Not even an aftershock. I just thought the mask blocked out feelings and the sense of right and wrong and heightened the speed and power of the wearer. Meli's leg gave way. She let go of her sword and collapsed onto the sand, clutching her leg. Helios raised his sword. Sora didn't really remember what happened next. She was suddenly in front of Helios, and had somehow disarmed him of his sword. Then, Sora's punch sent Helios flying. Sora waited for Helios to stand up again. He didn't. But Meli did. "Umm. Sora?" "What?" "You're really scary when you're mad." Sora went over to the fallen Helios and took off his mask and laughed. "Oh $&^#, I knocked him out!"  
  
13 I guess you might want to know what happened to Bryal and his crew. But first you must understand what is in the south. Up till now, every creature up in the north has been robotic. Down in the south, every creature was flesh and blood. The creatures that lived in the south were elves, nymphs, fairies, demons and animals. Now, these animals weren't the dumb, mute animals living on Earth, they were as smart and wise as us humans and could talk and understand sarcasm. Bryal, Inaina, and all of the Kayan soldiers avoided the south because of what happened about thirteen years ago. But we'll hear that story later! (Darn.) A chain of mountains called the Pass of Gaupem separated the southern region of Tomarouv and Inaina's kingdom. The southern region was called Willow. In the land of Willow lived a large village of woodland elves and wolves. They lived in harmony with each other. Of course, there were other beings there, but the wood elves and wolves held the main presence. Because the village had such a large population, there were two leaders, who happened to be matriarchs. One of the leaders was a tall, (I think her height was. 5'7",) thin, pretty wood elf with long hair. She carried an oak longbow and a quiver full of red feather arrows. Her name was Kari. The other matriarch was a wolf. She was 6'11", at the shoulder. Her thick, soft, silver-white fur covered her large and powerful frame. Her yellow eyes resembled a hawk's. Her name was Artemis.  
*** It was night at Kari's village. Dying campfires spluttered low. Huts became dark as candles and lanterns were put out. The gray moon hung in the sky as a hoot owl began to hoot. Kari couldn't sleep. She sat in the fork of an old tree, looking up at the moon. Artemis came out of one of the larger huts and walked toward Kari. Artemis' large paws hardly made a sound on the grass, but Kari's deer-shaped ears heard her anyway and she slid of the tree and sat on the grass beside the trunk of the tree. Artemis lay down on the grass and sniffed Kari's ear. "You've been looking sad lately, why?" "It's Maulena, She has been gone for three days and I've searched everywhere for her. And not only is Maulena missing there's Kilikina, and Ickerus." Artemis seemed amused at the news. Half growling, she said, "You know that they always come back. They pride themselves as a scouting party." Kari stood up and buckled a brace onto her left wrist. "All the same, I'll look for them, like I always do. Somebody has to stop their midnight wanderings." The large wolf watched Kari arm herself. Then Artemis stretched and yawned, revealing large teeth and sharp fangs. "That's what you always say, but it never happens. Is that all?" "I.I guess." "Good night then." "Good-night." Kari walked into the surrounding forest.  
  
14 Bryal and his crew unloaded the ships under the cover of darkness. They were on the coast of Willow, only one mile from the village. The vermin were making camp, gathering wood for their fires and pitching their tents. Maulena the wood elf stood well hidden behind the wide trunk of a tree. The twelve year old had a yew bow in one hand, and a green feather arrow in the other. On her shoulder was her squirrel companion, Icarus. Kilikina the fairy transformed to her human form so she wouldn't give off a light. Kilikina sang a tune softly to herself, "Some people think I'm crazy, oh, an' I don't blame their thinking. But then those people are really dumb because they're always drinking." Maulena blinked. "What are you singing?" Kilikina rummaged through their one knapsack. "Just some song I made up. Did you pack any cookies?" Maulena plucked the bag out from Kilikina's grasp. "No! Don't eat those!" then she took of her crystal lens glasses and put them in a case. "These are my cookies. I'm very partial to my food." "No duh," Kilikina settled for a muffin. "You could eat a whole cow if we let you." Icarus squeaked and nodded toward a Kayan scout, rummaging just a few yards away. Maulena packed everything up and started to edge away into the forest. "C'mon, it's not safe here anymore. We have to find Lady Kari and tell her what's going on." They hiked along silently, looking back to see if anything was following them now and then and seldom leaving behind little signs of their trail. Darkness was closing in on them and they carried no light. Maulena bumped into something in the darkness. "H-hello, Lady Kari." Came Kilikina's voice from behind Maulena. "Oh, hello, Lady Kari." Maulena peered through the dark and saw Kari's thin outline. Realizing the trouble they were in, Kilikina decided to do some quick talking. "Umm, umm, we were just. umm." Kari leaned over and looked Maulena in the eye. "I take it that you are the 'leader' of this little expedition. Well. Speak, miss. Make a report." Maulena knew what was expected of her, back strait, chin up, shoulders thrown back, she looked back at Kari and told her what they had seen.  
  
*** As the sun rose up over the treetops of the village of Willow, Artemis ran through the forest. She was accompanied with two wolves. They were the same silver-white color and were slightly larger than German shepherds. One was Artemis' daughter, Ramie. And the other was Artemis' son, Kouga. Slowing down to a halt, the giant wolf peered down at the Kayan soldiers' camp. Kouga raised his hackles at the sight. "They are so near to the village, we should have done something earlier." Artemis sniffed Kouga's ear, making him calm down. Then she turned towards Ramie. "Go back to Lady Kari and tell her that there are no sentries posted." Then, half speaking to herself and Kouga, she growled, "I can't believe the scum are that brainless. Last time they set foot here they nearly had us by the throat." Kouga had never heard his mother talk about the past. "What happened?" Artemis' golden eyes turned sad. "I cannot speak about it. And I do not know if I am the right one to tell you about it." Kouga's dark blue eyes looked puzzled. "I understand." "Mom! Mom!" Ramie showed up out of nowhere, slightly panting. "Lady Kari is ready to attack the camp." "Very well, where are you going?" Ramie started to trot off. "I'm going back to Lady Kari, Maulena's going to ride me."  
*** "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Ramie's eyes watched Maulena get on her back. "I'm not going to notice you up there when we're in battle." Maulena drew a short sword. "I'll be okay, I've ridden wolves bareback before." Ramie's eyes reminded Maulena of Artemis', golden and sharp, like a hawk's. Everybody around them stood uneasy, testing swords, daggers, and spears. All 153 of them felt nervous. Then, a voice shouted out. "We've been spotted!" Kari knew what had to happen next. "Give them all a good walloping, everybody. Charge!" What happened next was pure chaos. Armed, black robed vermin charged up the slopes of their camp and Kari and the forces of Willow met them in a headlong run. Maulena rode Ramie perfectly, vermin tried to get out of range of her short sword. Kari was beginning to enjoy herself. Artemis ran out at breakneck speed and joined in the melee with relish.  
***  
Inaina sat in his chamber overlooking the battle in his monitor. He focused mainly on Kari, as he had done with Sora. He sat there, in thought, until a sick, twisted smile slowly spread across his face. "So that was where she sent her brat.to earth." (Of course you don't know what he's talking about, but I do. I'll explain it later.)  
Inaina's assistant, Kanaka, crept into the chamber holding a wet rag to the side of his head. "Umm, umm, umm."  
"What the *%!! do you want?"  
"Umm, what happened thirteen years ago? I.I mean in the south. I couldn't go along with you and your brother. And.and I just want to know." (Skittish, isn't he?) "That's not important. What's important is that you go and tell all the soldiers that we are going back to the south sometime to conquer it. Clear?" "Erm, uh, umm, yeah-I mean, yes sir." Kanaka bowed and practically ran out of the chamber.  
  
15 Meli sat at a makeshift table, eating her fifth slice of pie. Beside her sat Sora, Coleo, Tamm and Chronicler. Coleo took a sip of Protodermis. "Methinks yon Meli could eat us out of house and home!" Sora bit into a slice of bread. "Well, that's Meli.I have a question." Chronicler turned a beaker of Protodermis around in his hands. "Ask away." "Where are we, exactly?" "Do you mean in contrast with your earth?" Sora nodded. Chronicler stroked his chin. "I think your world, Earth, and the world of Na Mea, and all the other alternate worlds are all alternate realities. All of us exist on the same planet, just in a different reality. Umm, how do I say this, like a dimension! That's it!" Meli paused and chugged down a beaker of water. "Then there are different worlds? Other dimensions?" "Correct." Sora pondered over this. "Then, are all the worlds connected?" A smile broke out over Chronicler's face. "You learn fast, Sora. Yes, all the worlds are connected by one way or another." Meli pushed her plate away. "So, where are the portals here in this world?" Coleo also pushed her beaker away. "Nobody knows, all we know is that the location of all the portals is in the Sacred Book of Apu." A terrible thought crossed Meli's Mind. "Inaina wants the Sacred Book of Apu, right?" Everybody nodded his or her heads in agreement. "And Inaina wants to rule all of your world, right?" Everybody nodded his or her heads in agreement. "This world's resources are very powerful, right?" "Och, jus' cut out all the suspense an' tell us what you think the windbag's up to." Meli's face was grim. "If Inaina gets his hands on that book, he could use it to conquer Na Mea. And if he does, he could use the lands resources and that book to conquer other worlds!" Sora dropped her piece of bread. "Holy $#*&! Then I guess we do have a stake in this battle!" Coleo looked at Sora. "Yes, and thee and thy friends have to find that book, fast." "But we don't know where to start." Meli wrung her hands around. "Besides, Helios is still unconscious and still recovering in the healer's tent!" "Oh, shut up, Meli! I'm here now." Everybody turned to see a disgruntled Helios, covered in bandages. "*Sniff* I thought you couldn't get any meaner." Meli crossed her arms. "Why are you so mean anyway? Your personality's so cold." "Because, because." Helios sat down at the table. "I don't remember much about what happened while I had that @#$%ing mask on. But I think I remember how to get around in Inaina's castle, Kaya, and how Inaina was like.he sounded like a girl." Everyone fell silent in an awkward pause. "Well," Chronicler stretched his arms and started to walk towards his tent. "It's too hot to do anything useful, so I'll just take a nap. I recommend that to everyone still sitting at that table."  
  
16 The dead and dying were everywhere. Kari sheathed her sword and looked around at the many survivors. Not a Kayan soldier standing in sight. Artemis walked up to Kari and sniffed her deer-like ear. "Not much of our people were killed in combat. More of the opponent decided to flee rather than fight. Most of them retreated to the sea and drowned. I think this is what they call a 'bloodless victory.'" Kari stroked her deer-like ears. "I wonder what happened to them." "All the young ones are interested in what happened in the past." Artemis growled. Kari looked away. "I cannot tell them. The past is painful for me." Artemis sat down on her powerful hind legs. "You're right. You are the one who was affected the most. But I cannot them, it is not my place." "Eagle was there, he will tell them." "The very elf I would have picked. I'll gather the young ones and tell Eagle of his task."  
*** Eagle was one of the village's elite fighters. Oddly enough, he was not a fan of archery, as was other elves. He would rather fight hand-to-hand combat. He sat in a hut behind an open fire, facing the door. Around him sat the village youth, ranging from ages 9 to 12. Maulena and Kilikina sat between Kougar and Ramie. "Shh, I want to start." Eagle said quietly. The once noisy hut became quiet instantly. "I will answer questions after I finish. What I am about to tell you cannot be repeated outside this room according to all the elder's wishes. I am about to tell you a part of the village's history. This series of events happened about thirteen years ago. I am one hundred and thirty- two seasons old. When this happened I was eighty seasons. Lady Kari was one hundred seasons, and Artemis was one hundred and four in human seasons. Now.I will begin."  
  
17 The following words are an excerpt from the history of the village of Arven, told by Eagle, the right hand of Lady Kari and Artemis.  
*** "The land of Willow was cast into an age of darkness. Mystic creature and men alike were brought out of their racist opinions of one another to live in peace on this very ground, in this very village.to live in peace and harmony with each other. The beings responsible for this temporary truce were a man called Kei, and his wife. His wife was a woodland elf, and was (and still is,) highly respected by all the good mystic creatures. As for the man, he was (and still is,) one of the greatest warriors of mankind. The happy couple had a baby, a girl, barely a week old. All of mankind lived in the city of Trough. Kei had all of his people move into the shelter and security of this village because horrible, unsightly creatures, demons, came down from the region of Kaya to destroy everything in their path. At the head of the demon army was an android by the name of Dan. His ultimate desire was to rule the world. His army was a terrible mess. The couple was scared for their people's safety, so Kei summoned an army to wipe out Dan's army and all the strongest warriors eagerly signed up at once. So then, Sir Kei kissed his wife and child goodbye and marched off to meet Dan's army. No Demon would ever set sight on this village. Kei stood at the head of his mighty army, full of elves, fairies, animals, nymphs, and of course, men. Dan sneered at Kei from across the battlefield. Behind him, the demons raged and screamed like savages. They charged. (Here, Eagle's eyes glazed over and a smile spread across his face.) Kei slayed Dan in one stroke of his sword and when the demons saw that he was dead they ran, almost every single one of them, back to the dark, slimy caves underneath the region of Kaya. They have stayed there ever since. The problems were still not over yet. As mankind prepared to move back to Trough, a feud concerning the young one of Kei and his wife arose. There were rumors abroad about an assassin, out to murder the family. Scared for their daughter's safety, they sent their daughter to a different dimension called 'Earth.' It was the hardest thing the young couple had ever done, and they haven't seen their daughter since. Sir Kei became a wandering ranger in his grief, and his wife became even more respected for her actions.so there, you have heard the sad story of the past." Eagle paused and sighed deeply. "Now I will answer questions. Are there any?" A heavy silence pressed against them all. Finally, Kilikina raised a slightly shaking hand. "Yes?" "Umm.who was, I mean, is Sir Kei's wife?" "Hmm, I'm wondering if she would like it if I told you.ah, I don't see why not. I'll tell you who she is." Kougar raised his head. "Well, who is Sir Kei's wife?" Eagle looked at all of them with a piercing stare and said two words.  
"Lady Kari."  
  
18 Sora fell asleep in the empty tent. She had a strange dream.  
*** Sora drifted in what seemed like a green colored mist. Before her stood a huge, powerful robot. It carried a great sword and a one edged battle-ax. Different parts of the robot were different colors; blue, green. And white. A deep rumbling voice came from within it as it spoke. "Hello, miss. I have been expecting you." "What, I mean. Who are you?" The giant robot put a hand on its chest. "I? I am Akamai, the great spirit of wisdom." "And why am I here?" Akamai chuckled to himself. "Why, did you not want to find the Sacred Book of Apu?" Sora nodded. "I am here to help you. Listen to me." Sora listened intently. ".There is a Tama by the name of Gurth who will come to you with a thin stone tablet covered with ancient writing. Within that writing are the instructions to the book that you search for." Sora nodded again. "Thank you." "Oh, don't thank me. Thank your sub-conscious mind." "Umm.okay."  
*** Sora opened her eyes to see small shafts of sunlight streaming through the tent flaps. She emerged to see Helios walking with a black Tama. Helios was holding a slab of gray rock between his hands. "Hi, Helios. What are you doing?" Helios nodded to the black Tama beside him. "This is Gurth.he found this tablet on the western shore of Loa. Tell her what's on this rock, Gurth." Gurth scratched his head. "Why, et be covered wid some strange writin' oi suppose." Helios handed the slab of rock to Sora. It was covered with curious shapes and designs.  
***  
  
The Sacred Book of Apu is deep within the island of Kufana. Only the Koa  
may set foot upon the island and the other accompanying beings will be  
killed.?  
*** Helios snickered at Sora's expression of mixed disbelief and anxiety. "Well, obviously you don't know what the crap means, and neither do we. Do you have any idea who does?" Coleo walked towards them. "What tongue is this?" Sora crouched down and showed Coleo the slab. "Didn't chief Onekama teach you how to read ancient languages?" "Ah, yes." Coleo pointed to a word on the slab. "I know this word means 'book.'" Everyone gave out a sigh. "Er.oi think we all knows et does." Coleo too, gave a sigh. "I'm sorry, Sora. The chief taught me long ago and everything seeped away over time. I can make out an odd letter here and there, but other than that, no." Tamm popped out of nowhere. "Och, then what aboot that wee lass, eh Meli! Ah'll wager she would be helpin' herself to our gud grub. D'ye ken?" Helios looked toward the supply shed. "Oh, I ken alright. Should we take a look?" They walked to the shed and opened the door.  
  
19 They were all expecting to find a ransacked shed and instead, they found an orderly supply shed. Helios narrowed his eyes. "Look around, see if anything is missing!" They all swarmed in and found everything present. "We'll all split up and search in the forest." Sora ran into the forest grumbling. "How many times can a person get lost in a week?" she stumbled upon a trail of broken twigs and occasional mashed weed. "And she left a trail anybody could follow." Helios suddenly stumbled out of a bush from Sora's right. "Ha! I found you!" "Geez! Give me whiplash why don't ya. And I'm not Meli!" "Sorry.But I had to talk to you about something." Sora paused. "What is it?" "Meli's appetite reminds me of somebody." "Do you mean to tell me, that somebody else has the same stomach as Meli?" "And is as skinny as she." They followed Meli's tracks to the west shore of Loa. Meli lay on her side, using her cloak as a blanket and using her pack as a pillow. Sora blinked. "She's sleeping." "Why isn't it a surprise?" Sora bent down and shook Meli's shoulder. "Wake up, Meli." Meli only rolled over and pulled her cloak over her head. "No." Helios sighed. "We bought food!" Meli sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where?" Helios snickered. "Just kidding. What we did bring, is this." He held out the thin stone tablet. "Can you read it?" Meli held the tablet and traced the strange writing with her fingers. "Did you ask Coleo about it?" Sora looked over Meli's shoulder. "Believe me, she didn't know." Meli closed her eyes. "I'll do my best. Do any of you have any charcoal?" Helios took a piece of sharpened charcoal out of his pocket. "I was going to use this for vandalism, but you can use it for now. Oh, and you can use my old coat, I was going to shred it." Meli smoothed out Helios' coat and took the piece of charcoal. Then she studied the slab. Almost immediately, her symbol glowed bright blue on her forehead. Helios leaned casually against a tree. "Well, that's it. She's reading it."  
  
Meli ignored Helios. She looked to and from the slab and her writing on the back of Helios' coat. Sora looked at Helios' coat and saw a word key taking shape.  
*** Aa=Aa Bb=Bb Cc=Cc Dd=Dd Ee=Ee Ff=Ff Gg=Gg Hh=Hh Ii=Ii Jj=Jj Kk=Kk  
Ll=Ll Mm=Mm Nn=Nn Oo=Oo Pp=Pp Qq=Qq Rr=Rr Ss=Ss Tt=Tt Uu=Uu  
Vv=Vv Ww=Ww Xx=Xx Yy=Yy Zz=Zz  
*** "Wow!" whispered Sora. "That's amazing!" "Yeah well, my handwriting's bad." Meli grinned. "But I need to translate the message itself."  
*** The Sacred Book of Apu is deep within the island of Kufana. Only the Koa may set foot upon the island and the other accompanying beings will be killed.  
*** "I know that's one lame message." Meli handed the lump of charcoal back to Helios. "But that's what it says." "*Snort* is that your handwriting?" Sora punched Helios in the shoulder. "That's mean, Helios." Then she helped Meli up. (Remember her leg?) "But now we know where that book is."  
  
20 Maulena couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Lady Kari, about her missing daughter, about her missing husband. It was depressing. Maulena stroked Ickerus' tail and heard a sigh from her left. She turned to see Kilikina. "You can't sleep either?" "Nope. I keep thinking of all of Lady Kari's problems. Y'know, I think that's why she's always sad looking. Even when she's smiling her eyes are sad." Maulena groped around for her glasses and put them on. "Maybe we should talk to her." Kilikina quietly stood up. "Yeah, see what we could do." Kari, again, was sitting next to Artemis under the same tree as before. "Hello, you two." She said softly. "Umm.Hi, Lady Kari." Kari turned around and looked at Maulena. "What is it, young one?" "Is there anything we can do?" Kari turned back to the moon. "There is nothing you can do about my dilemma.but," Kari leaned back. "You may continue your patrols around the borders of Willow, if you wish." Kilikina broke out in smiles. "Thank you, Lady Kari." Artemis lowered her head onto her large paws. "I don't think Willow is going to see another battle in a long time."  
*** "I hate the sea." The three Koa were rowing to the island of Kufana in a small canoe. Meli looked reprovingly at Helios. "Hate's a strong word, Helios." "Hmph." "Well, here we are." Sora shipped her paddle and jumped out. "Get out of the canoe, Helios." Meli followed suit and started to tow the boat onto the sandy shore. "Yeah, whatever." Sora took in her surroundings. The beach ended abruptly the borders of a thinning forest. A large rock formation rose up eerily from the other side of the island. Meli shivered. "Something's not right." Sora nodded. "Yeah, it's too quiet." "We should split up." Helios abruptly pushed through them and started walking in one direction. "Geeze, talk about rude." Meli headed in the opposite direction. "See you later." Sora shrugged and walked to the heart of the forest.  
*** Helios patted the ground with his boot. The sand from the beach mixed in with the soil. Looking up, he saw red and black fruits hanging from the trees. The fruits looked like they were each chopped in half. The curved side was red and the flat side was black. These fruits hung from every tree. Helios tripped and landed face first onto a flat rock. Spewing forth some colorful language, he got to his feet and saw that he fell onto a huge, thick, slab of rock. The spot Helios uncovered was the spot he fell onto. Helios kicked some more sand off and stepped off the slab. It was covered with the same writing as the first slab. Helios pulled out the scrap of cloth on which Meli wrote the key. (He really did shred his coat.)  
***  
The Sacred Book of Apu is underneath this slab.  
*** Helios dropped his piece of charcoal and hastily picked it back up. "These idiots hid that book in broad daylight!" he wrapped the key around the charcoal and stuffed them in his pocket. Standing well away from the slab, he held his hands up to it and concentrated. Helios' hands started to glow bight white, then the light shot towards the slab and froze it. Inside out. Helios walked towards the slab and buried the point of his sword deep within the edge of the slab. A network of cracks traveled throughout the slab, breaking it into thousands of pieces. Helios shifted some pieces from the center of the mess to reveal a leather-bound book. It was locked all around the edges with steel seams, so he could not open it. Across the cover were these words:  
***  
The Sacred Book of Apu  
*** Helios translated and tucked the book under his arm. "That was easy. Now to find the others." Buzz.  
21 BUZZ. "What the #*$% was that?" Helios turned around to see the strange fruits flying all around him. The fruits had now sprouted insect-like wings, had yellow, insect-like eyes, had a pair of black antennae and had three pairs of short, spindly legs. Helios' mouth dropped open. In short, the "fruits" were actually large, spotless, mechanical ladybugs. "Oh WOW, that's kewl." Helios stretched out a finger to poke the nearest one. The bug suddenly burst into flame, followed by the rest of the other bugs. Helios turned on his heel and ran. He looked over his shoulder and saw the swarm of ladybugs resembling a giant fireball. All around the bugs, the nearest trees and brushes caught fire. "Oof." "Helios, you need to watch where you're going." Sora brushed herself off and helped Helios up. Then she spotted the swarm. "What did you get yourself into?" "I don't know! Just run!" Helios saw the look on Sora's face. "Okay, I got the book we're here for and they started charging me down." They leaped over a fallen tree and turned to the left. "Good job." Sora snapped off a rotten branch and threw it over her shoulder. "Now the only problem is.how to get rid of these bugs." "Well I know I can't!" Yelled Helios. "All I can do is move things with my mind and use my x-ray vision! Not to mention my power is ice! They'd melt that in a second." "I can't either." Sora snapped back. "My power is air. All I would do is feed the fire. That just leaves." "WATER!" They said together. Helios adjusted the book under his arm. "Why is that girl always missing when we need her help?" "Hey youse." Both of them looked to their right to see Meli. Sora nodded her head to the back. "Hi, Meli. It's good to see you, it really is. But we need help." Meli's face broke out in a smile. "Okay." And she turned away and jogged to the shore. "Is she going to keep us running like this? We're being chased by burning, robot bugs!" They were slowing down; their chests filled with pain. Sora held her side like she had been shot. And Helios tripped and almost fell down; not used to running this far so fast. Then, by a miracle, they reached the sea. The sun's light was blocked out by a huge wave. It was on the brink of flooding the entire island. And who was controlling it? Meli. "Ummmmmm.I'd duck if I were you."  
*** "Damn it, Meli. Now I lost the book." A sopping wet Helios was wading in the shore of Kufana, groping here and there under the water for the book. Sora lay eagle-spread on a rock, trying to dry out. "Look at the bright side; the bugs are gone." "Yeah, but they're waterlogged." Meli sat under a tree probing the inside wires and circuits of one of the bugs. "And they're easy to open up." "Could you at least try to help me?" interrupted Helios. "Fine." Meli dropped the dripping bug and walked into the water. "Fine." She disappeared under the surface.  
  
22 Inaina seethed in anger at the freeing of Helios. He soon got over it, however, and sat back down in his throne. Pondering over Kanaka's suggestion, he got up again and called for one of his most trusted minions.  
  
A tall, dark robed figure strode into the chamber. Inaina stood up and spreading his arms wide, he embraced the figure (Who was at least a foot taller.) "Ah, yes. I didn't know you were still alive, Dan. You could have at least sent word you were still alive." Dan pulled away. "But I 'm not alive, dear sibling. I now live a half-life. A cursed-life. In which I am seriously disabled.my days as an assassin are gone.yet I can still fight as fierce as when I was still healthy." Dan rasped through his silver mask. "Do you have a job for me, or not?" Inaina turned away and sat on his throne. "I do. Do you still have that talent of manufacturing custom-made androids?" "That I do." Inaina leaned back casually. "Here's the job, I need two, no.three custom androids. Take all the time you want; I don't want insecure pieces of junk." Inaina handed Dan a folder. "All the information you need on building the androids is in there, though only one needs to be built at the present time." "What about the other two androids?" "I will inform you of the plans for the other two when I have them." Dan moved eerily. "You're sitting in my chair, dear sibling." "It's not your chair anymore, Dan." "Then I'll start on this job right away, sis-" Inaina leaped up. "GET OUT!" he screamed. Dan simply shrugged and walked out.  
*** "Thank me later." Meli was busy polishing her sword under the shade of the large officer's tent. Next to her, Coleo smoothed her hand over the cover of the book. "What's in it?" Sora sighed and flopped onto the grass. "That's the problem. There could be some solution to the whole 'Inaina problem' in there and we wouldn't know." Chronicler hid his face in his hands. "I don't know either, Sora, and I keep track of the history of Na Mea. Doesn't somebody here know something, or know somebody who knows how to open this book?" Meli tilted her head to one side. "Say wha?" Helios turned around. "I do."  
  
Part 3  
  
Chief Kea of Hau-Kauhale tells all  
  
22 "Who?!" asked everyone. "Chief Kea." Helios said simply. Sora was lost. "Who is.?" Chronicler looked up. "Who is probably the only being who can tell what is in this book!" "But what about thee, Helios?" Coleo turned the book over. "Can thy not use thy powers?" "Tried that already." Meli sheathed her sword. "Then we have no choice but to see the Chief. Where is he?" Helios started packing food and supplies in his knapsack. "I'll lead you to him." He threw Sora's pack to her. "Alas, we cannot come." Sighed Chronicler. "Us Tamma have to stay here to keep watch on the front." He dodged out of the way as Meli ran to the supply shed with her knapsack. Sora quickly stuffed her cloak into her pack. "Why are we in a hurry?" "Because we have the book and now Inaina will unleash his troops and stop at nothing to get us. We don't want the Kayan soldiers to pass through here do you?" "No." "Then c'mon!"  
*** Back on Na Mea, up into the icy region of Hau-Puni, to the glacier-hidden village of Hau-Kauhale, traveled the three Koa. The trip took at least two weeks. "Did you lead us the long way around?" "We're here now, aren't we?" Helios knocked on the white door of a tall, white, domed building. "Besides, I think it was fun." Sora tried to fix her torn sleeve for the umpteenth time. "Getting cornered by a swarm of crazed Kuha spiders was not fun." Meli shifted her weight from one leg to the other. (Her leg improved.) "We escaped them by jumping into the sea." Helios cringed. "Now that, was not fun. swimming with Mano sharks was not fun." "Oh, c'mon. Mano are only dubbed 'the king of sharks' here in Na Mea." The door opened to reveal a white Tama. "Why hello, Helios. Long time no see." Helios bent down and shook the small creature's hand. "How are you, Matoro?" Matoro beckoned them inside. "Prepared. The Chief has foretold of your arrivals, so we already know that you." he turned to Sora. ".Are Sora, the substitute Koa of Air. And you." He turned to Meli. ".Are Nalo Meli, the substitute Koa of Water. Are you not?" They both nodded their heads slowly. Matoro led the three of them deeper into the building. The walls all around them were covered with strange writing different than the language Meli had translated. "So, all this is Tama script? I mean the writing on the walls?" Meli asked.  
  
"Yes." Matoro proudly said. "This is the writing of Na Mea." Helios pulled out the piece of his coat with the other language key on it. "Then what language is this?" Matoro peered at the cloth. "That tongue is a far more ancient language than the Tama one. I'll ask Chief Kea about it if you want." They walked into a large room lighted by several light stones. The walls were covered with Tama script. "Chief Kea, they're here!" Called Matoro.  
  
23 Chief Kea was a gray and black being who carried a long shafted ice pick as a sign of office. He was at least a head taller than Matoro. Making clicking noises and gestures, he turned around and tapped his staff on the floor. "Oh, yeah. I forgot." Matoro walked to Kea's side. "I am the only being alive who can understand the Kea. So I'll play translator for you." Kea clicked some more. "Welcome to Hau-Kauhale, substitute Koa. I know that you may have fresh questions from your arrival, but they can wait. Right now you are bone weary and tired from your trip. So it is important that you rest and eat. I'll have someone repair your shirt, Sora." Matoro paused. "I'll also have someone look at your leg, Meli. And Helios, can you hand me the Sacred Book of Apu sometime? I'd like to look at it."  
*** With Matoro leading them down one of the building's many long hallways, the three companions started talking. "I'm glad that someone's going to fix my shirt, but while they're doing that, what am I going to wear?" Sora fiddled with her sleeve. "I dunno." Meli put her hand against the wall for support. "A towel? But you can borrow my gee.by the way, what have you used your powers for, Helios?" "Oh, I've used my x-ray vision for.stuff." Meli closed her eyes painfully at a sudden thought. "Oh, no." "What is it?" Then the same thought dawned on Sora. "How many times have you used your x-ray vision to do 'stuff', Helios?" Helios shrugged. "Oh, a load of times." He caught the look on the girls' faces. "I.I mean. For what?" "You sick PERVERT!"  
*** The next morning, Helios slumped into the building's huge (think cathedral,) dining hall to find Kea, Matoro and several other Tama eating their breakfast of Protodermis. "What's that?" Matoro pointed to the ice pack Helios held to his head. "Oh, this?" Helios removed it to reveal a black eye. "I'm black and blue all over.and I'm surprised that nothing's broken." Kea chuckled and said something to Matoro. "Oh, yes. I remember now. The girls pummeled you for abusing your power like that." Helios slowly eased himself into a chair. "First, Sora ran me down and beat me up, then Meli caught up and started beating me with her crutch." Helios' right arm twitched. "Where are they?" Matoro poured himself more Protodermis. "They went out for a walk. They wanted to get familiar with the region of Hau-Puni." "Really?" "Yes. Sora's sleeve was repaired early and Meli's leg has healed wonderfully, so they decided to put on their cloaks and go out." "Hmm."  
*** Crunch. "D'you hear that?" "Yeah, that's the snow beneath our feet." Meli looked around. "But I didn't move my foot, and you didn't either." "You're right." They both looked around the white mountainside. Tall gray rocks dotted the area here and there. Meli drew her sword. "Show yourself, stranger." A 6'3" tall figure materialized from a rock. "You found me, so what?" It's voice rasped through a silver mask. Sora took off her cloak and drew her sword. "So, who are you?" It gave an eerie chuckle. "I? I am Dan." "Uh.are we supposed to know you?" Meli too, took off her cloak. "You will after this." Dan took out three metal balls, each metal ball was attached to a short piece of string, and the other end of the string was attached to the ends of the other strings. (Does that make sense?) Dan started to swing his weapon over his head. "Uh-oh." The gray blur narrowly missed Sora's head and wrapped itself to the tall rock behind her, taking off a few chunks in the process. Sora turned back to face Dan to see him running away from Meli, who was clutching her head and kneeling in the snow.  
  
24 "That's just sick!" Meli moaned. Sora took out a dagger. (Compliments of Kea.) "What? What did he do?" Meli stood up and grabbed the dagger from Sora. "He pulled out some of my hair! He's crazy!" she then threw Sora's dagger at Dan. The dagger went clear through Dan's chest before burying itself in the snow. Turning around, Dan wrenched his weapon from the rock. "I already have what I came here for.goodbye." Meli took a few steps forward. "Wait, what do you want with my hair? And aren't you supposed to die? That blade went right through your heart!" Dan pulled his hood over his head. "It's simple.figure it out yourselves." then he disappeared. Meli touched the back of her head. "Umm.where did he go?" Sora went to retrieve her dagger. "Who cares? He's gone, but what's that in the snow?" It was a large, purple stain, right where Dan was standing after Meli threw the dagger. "That must be Dan's blood." "Are you sure? It's purple!" "Well, let me see your dagger." Sora held her dagger out. "But most of the blade was washed off in the snow." "It doesn't matter.look." Meli pointed to a dark purple stain on the tip. Sora bent down and thrust her dagger into the snow. "Now we know that Dan has purple blood, and is probably immortal, but what we don't know is why he wanted your hair."  
*** Helios snickered. "Maybe he wants to clone you. It's possible." "Yeah, I guess." Meli looked down at the smooth, stone floor. "But what bothers me is that Sora's dagger went right through Dan's chest and he didn't notice." "And he wasn't wearing an infected mask." Sora pondered deep in thought. "Oh, and his mask didn't have any eye holes, not even air holes." Helios stroked his chin. "Yes, very creepy.except for the lack of air holes, this Dan guy sounds a lot like Inaina. They might be working together." They were gathered in the candle-lit room where Sora and Meli had first met Kea. Matoro's eyes were locked on Kea, who started to speak. "Now is the time to answer some questions." Matoro translated Kea's clicks and gestures. "I have called you three 'substitutes' for the Mana Koa because they will rise again, and deal with the Koroho. When the Mana Koa rise, Na Mea will break away from this dimension and form another." Meli looked puzzled. "Will we still be able to see you?" Matoro waited after a few clicks to translate. "Yes, of course. We will just be another alternate reality. With our own portals and such." Sora traced her fingers in the carvings on the wall. "If the original Koa are to rise again, then will we still have our powers?" "You have their symbols on your foreheads it is still their symbol. You and your Koa counterpart are connected, no matter where you both are. So yes.you will keep your powers. "I also have some news about the Sacred Book of Apu. I have tried all that I can, I even contacted the other Chiefs, but in vain. It cannot be opened. But I have a theory." Helios came out of his dark corner. "What is it? Tell us." Kea clicked some more. "The biggest reason is probably because there are six Koa and only three of you. All six of you need to be together in order to open it and to come back here through the portals. I suggest you hurry; the portals only open during the full moon and days are short up here in Hau-Kauhale." A large, golden circle appeared in the middle of the stone floor. Matoro forgot to translate and started speaking for himself. "Wow.that's a portal? It's so big and pretty.oh yeah. "Go now, while the portal is still open. And here." Kea tossed the book to Helios. ".You'll need that." "Okay then." Meli patted Matoro on the head. "Bye!" that was the last word Sora said before she jumped. 


	3. And it continues

Book II  
  
Pu'ali  
  
Part 1  
  
Fire, Earth and Stone  
  
25 "Wha-?" Sora woke up lying on the concrete ground outside the science wing. Above her, Meli's face came into focus. "Yay, you're awake." Meli helped Sora get up. "It turns out that our trip has taken not even a second of time here. So it's still lunch." "It is." Sora checked her watch. "We're back in our old clothes and I found out that Helios goes to this school." "About time you noticed." Helios talked through the bell. "I'll meet you two in the library after school. Then we can figure out what to do." "Okay."  
*** "Sooo." "So what?" "So what are we going to do?!" Helios slammed the book down on the table. "We're going to find the other three Koa! What else?!" Meli looked alarmed "Geez, just kidding." "But where do we start?" Sora tested the steel fibers binding the book. "They could be anywhere." "Haki." Helios whispered. Sora looked up. "Who?" "Oh, I know him!" Meli stood up. "His name's Haki Kamahi. He's supposed to be really smart because he's taking Trig up at the high school." It was Sora's turn to look alarmed. "You mean he's in high school?" "Yup." Helios leaned back in his chair. "Haki is our age. He skipped a grade back in elementary school. And I think he's the Koa of stone." "This isn't news to me." Meli sat down. "So, if Haki was the Koa of stone, he would have the power of speed and mind control?" "Yes." Helios took the book and slipped it into his backpack. "I'll talk to him. He probably won't believe me but he will." Sora stroked her ears. "When is the next full moon?" "In about.two weeks." The reality of it hit Meli. "So we have to find all three of them in two weeks?!" "Not if you want to wait another month. We don't have the that kind of time."  
*** The next day, Sora met Helios outside the band room. "So?" "Haki is reluctant." Meli came out of nowhere. "You're right. Our adventure seems too far- fetched. It's not plausible." "I showed Haki my powers." Helios fidgeted. "And I had to tell him about you two. I told him about Meli's history in Martial Arts and now Haki wants to fight her." "No way!" Meli hit Helios' shoulder. "Why'd you have to do something like that?! Are you crazy?" "Oh well. What's done is done. Just tell us about the match." Helios rubbed his shoulder. "It's a freestyle exhibition match, held in the park. No weapons will be used and there is no perimeter. There will be no seconds and no protective gear will be worn. If Meli wins Haki will join us, but if he wins he will not join. This is our only chance to make Haki join so you had better win." Meli pointed at Sora. "Why can't Sora fight?" "Because I can't." Sora pushed Meli's hand down. "Haki wants to fight you and you only, Meli. All I can do is stand aside and watch." "Okay." Meli sighed. "When is the match anyway?" "The Monday after next. Which is okay because the next full moon is on the day after."  
  
26 Six days later, Sora decided to call Meli. "Have you found the fifth Koa yet?" Meli's hysterical voice came from the other end. "No! I'm still stressed out about that match! Psych. I did." Meli held the receiver away from her ear while Sora screamed in relief. ("You don't joke about something like that!!") "The Koa of earth happens to be my cousin, Michael Vincent. I visited him yesterday (Friday) and I talked to him. Turns out that he already discovered his powers when he woke up in the middle of the night." "What kinds of power does he have?" "Michael has the power of strength and night vision. Which would explain why he says everything in a pitch black room is green.'' Meli smiled. "But I also have bad news." "What?" "Ruggan lost the book." Meli held the receiver away again. ".So we have to look for it again." "How can he lose something like that?" "He didn't lose it on purpose. It disappeared." Sora sighed. "Now it could be anywhere, in any dimension." "On lighter terms, I want you to meet Michael. He practices Martial Arts down by the Holly Community Center.so I'll meet you there tomorrow at twelve noon, okay?" "Okay."  
*** Michael was a 6-foot tall guy with black hair. He came out of the doors wearing a muscle tee that exposed his limbs. "Hi Meli." "Hey youse. This is Sora, She's the Koa of air." Michael held out one of the largest, powerful looking hands Sora had ever seen. "Hi." Sora shook his hand. "Hi." Michael let go. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" "No." "That's good. I've got to be careful because I don't know my own strength anymore." "Sora." Meli whispered. ".Quit staring at his six-pack." "Oh yeah.'' Sora snapped her eyes back up. "Sorry." Michael put on a sweatshirt. "That's okay. I get that a lot." "Are you in college?" Michael slipped a pair of sunglasses over his gray eyes. "Believe it or not, I'm only fifteen. I go to the same high school that Haki Kamahi goes to."  
*** The three of them met Helios outside the movie theatre. Helios gripped Michael's hand. "Heeyy. so you're the Koa of earth, huh?" Michael grinned and squeezed back. "Yes I am." "Sooo.could you let go of my hand before you completely crush it?" "Okay." Sora sighed. "Now all we have to do is find the sixth one." Helios stopped nursing his hand. "Who says we have to find one. I found one, Meli found one, so now you have to find the last one." "Technically he's right, Sora." Meli shuffled her feet. "All we can do to help you is to give you advice." "Then start giving advice." Helios stuffed his hands in his pockets. "The only element left is fire." "So you're looking for a pyro." Meli grinned. "Why am I the one stuck looking for a pyro?" Sora covered her eyes. "Hey, don't worry; I'll help you look." Michael put a hand on Sora's head. That's when he noticed her deer-like ears. "Umm.how come your ears are like that?" Sora fingered her ears. "They've always been like that, I don't know why. No one else in my family has ears like that." "Oh well." Michael smiled. "Maybe they'll tell you someday." "Yeah, maybe."  
  
27 And so, a whopping four days passed. Sora was convinced that the last Koa wasn't attending her middle school. So she called Michael, who was on to something. "Just meet me in front of the high school tomorrow at three, okay?" "Okay."  
*** Michael led Sora to the basketball courts where a group of freshmen were playing. Michael dropped his backpack on a nearby bench. "Okay, do you see the guy with the really messy hair?" Sora sat down on the bench. "You mean the strawberry blonde?" "Yeah, him. His name is Troy Camigi, but some people call him 'Troy the Pyro'." "Oh, no." Sora hid her face in her hands. "He's pretty tall.almost as tall as me." Michael sat down. "I think there's a difference of half an inch." "That's nice to know." Sora mumbled. "He he.I'm sorry, Sora." Michael put a hand on her head. "But I got you this far and you have to do the rest." "*Sigh* Okay.okay." Sora got up and slowly walked to the court. Troy was kneeling off to the side, taking a towel out of his backpack and nudging his trombone case. "Oh, hi." "Are you Troy Camigi?" "Well.yeah, I guess." "Can I talk to you?" Troy stood up. "Yeah, sure."  
*** Meli walked into the middle school library. "Hi Mrs. Cam." "Why hello, Miss Meli." The librarian was feeding a tabby kitten. "What brings you back so soon?" "Have you seen a leather-bound book covered in strange writing?" "Yes I have." Mrs. Cam put the bottle down and wiped the kitten's mouth with a towel. "Does that book belong to you?" "You can say that." "I'll bring it out." the librarian turned around and walked into the back room and returned with the Sacred Book of Apu. "I found this book on one of our shelves, but I don't remember putting it there." "I certainly didn't put it there." The librarian handed the book to Meli. "Is there anything else?" Meli tucked the book under her arm. "Not today. Bye, Mrs. Cam!" "Goodbye."  
*** "Y'know." Troy said louder than needed. "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard." "I know." Sora sighed. "And I've heard it before." Sora looked up in surprise. "Really? But from who? When?" Troy ran his fingers through his messy hair. "From my friend, Haki. Haki Kamahi. He also mentioned something about preparing for a match. Do you know anything about it?" Michael came out of nowhere. "Yeah, it's a freestyle exhibition match between Haki and my cousin, Meli. The match is on Monday at the park and I'm the lucky referee." "Since when were you the referee?" Sora questioned. "Since yesterday; Helios told me." Troy suddenly touched Sora's ear with his finger and thumb. "Wow. Your ears are really soft. That's so cool." "Don't touch my ear!" Sora slapped Troy in the head. "Your hands are dirty!" "Oww.okay."  
  
28 "Today is Monday. the beginning of a new week. the day I lose the fight to Haki." Sora poked Meli in the shoulder. "Will you stop being so depressed? You're going to do fine." Sora and Meli were walking to the park. "Umm, by the way, Meli. Why didn't you wear a Martial Art uniform?" "I chose to wear these old clothes so I don't ruin my Martial Art uniforms." Meli was wearing an old, ripped pair of pants and an even older faded t-shirt. "Well.here we are." They walked into a shady clearing where Haki and Michael were already waiting. "See?" Meli nodded toward Haki. "He's wearing a undershirt and old pants." "Good luck, Meli." Sora patted Meli on the head before dodging behind a large boulder a few yards away. Troy too, was behind the boulder. "Hi, Sora." "Hi." Sora peered over the boulder "Let's trade statistics." Helios jumped over Sora's head. "Okay." Troy seized Meli and Haki up. "Haki is only about an inch taller than Meli. No problem there." "And they're both equally thin." Sora pulled Meli's backpack in further. "It's because they have the same metabolism." Helios explained. "So they should both be in the same weight class." "No problem there either." Troy muttered as the three of them watched Haki and Meli take their positions. "So why do I feel like we're missing something?" "It's because Haki has the power of speed!" Sora realized. "I forgot!" "Really?" Troy's eyes were wide. "Then what powers do I have?" "You have Ahi Mana's symbol. So you have the power of shielding and concealment. Meli told me." Helios looked sheepish. "That means you can summon force fields and can become invisible." Sora looked daggers at Troy. "And you had better not use your powers the wrong way!" "Yes, please don't. She packs a mean right hook."  
*** (Now to get back to the point of the chapter.) Michael stretched a pair of goggles over his eyes. "Ready? Go!" Boom. Loose dirt flew everywhere. The three behind the boulder stopped talking to watch. Haki was indeed, faster than Meli. But her eyes could still follow him and she could still block his barrage of punches. With both their foreheads glowing with their symbols, Haki threw a summoned stone at his opponent and in turn Meli dodged with back flip. The stone caused another shower of dirt. "Hey that's cool." Troy shouted. "How come we can still see Haki?" Sora shouted over the noise. "I expected him to be faster than the speed of sound!" "It's because he hasn't mastered his power yet!" Helios covered his neck and head as a tree limb bounced off the boulder. "None of us have. So we can't use our powers to their full potential!" "Okay, you guys." Michael adjusted a handkerchief he tied over his mouth. "You can look now; they took a pause." Sora peeked over the boulder to see Meli and Haki standing on opposite sides of the clearing. The uneven ground was littered with tree branches, leaves and parts of Haki's shirt. "What happened to Haki's shirt?" Michael crossed his arms. "Meli tried to nail him with a left jab. He dodged it, but it wasn't enough. The intensity caused his shirt to rip." Sora eyed Michael. "Aren't you worried about Meli?" "Yes I am." Michael smiled. "But I shouldn't because I was the one who taught her how to roll all her different fighting techniques into one.and how to use her resources." "There is no way one can win against the other at this point." Helios interrupted. "They can already read each other's next moves." "That's right." Troy whispered. "They're hesitating." Both of them suddenly lunged toward each other. Haki gave a back-knuckle punch that hit nothing but air, giving Meli an opening to give him a head- butt in the stomach. "Winner by one point!" shouted Michael. "Meli! Umm, are you okay?" Meli was holding her head. "His stomach.is like concrete." Haki wheezed and gasped on the ground some feet away. "Oh, crap." Helios helped Haki up. "Does that mean you'll join us?" "*Gasp* No." Sora stopped wrapping bandages around Meli's knuckle. "What? I.I mean; why?" "I have my own reasons." Haki spat on the torn ground as he left with his backpack. "Hmmm. Hmmm." Meli massaged her left hand. "Something wrong, Troy?" "Something's wrong with Haki. I don't know what, but there's something."  
*** "Humph." Haki kicked out at a nearby pole. "Disgraced. Humiliated. By.by a little girl!" His sudden punch at another pole left a huge dent. "I cannot face my sensei for a long time." A huge fog suddenly descended around him. Haki shivered, for he was bare- chested and it was cold. "Haki Kamahi." A rumbling voice shook the ground. A towering shadow loomed before Haki in the fog. "Who are you?" "I am Pu'ali, the spirit of the warrior." The figure made a strange sound as it put an abnormal hand on its metallic chest. I have come down from my counsel chair to ask you; why did you not join the other five?" "Why? Why?" Haki suddenly became quiet. "I don't know." Pu'ali smiled in the fog. "It so happens that my good friend, Wairuha, has already told me the answer. "You have been. what is it now? 'Sent home by a girl?' As you humans say?" Pu'ali paused. "Remember this, Koa of stone; pride goes before fall. All of us have to learn by the hand of humility sometime. What is important now is that you will have to join with the others tomorrow night. But the choice is up to you, Kamahi, not me." Haki blinked. The sudden brightness of the sun appeared as the fog vanished out of sight.  
  
29 "Nooooooo!" cried Meli. "What are we going to do now?" "Do, Meli?" an amused Helios kicked the shreds of Haki's shirt. "We're going to meet behind the science wing tomorrow.like we all planned!" Sora looked puzzled. "But what about Haki?" Troy leaned against a tree. "Helios is right. We should all come whether we like it or not. We'll see if Haki comes or not."  
*** Michael pulled up and parked his car next to the curb. Meli ran out of the car and frightened Sora, who was stargazing. Above them the red moon peeked out from under small clouds. "Boo!" "Argh! Can't you say 'hi' like a regular person?" "Nope. Heh, heh." Troy and Helios crept over. "Boo!" It was Meli's turn to yelp. Sora rose and hit Troy in the shoulder. "Dang, you guys are annoying!" "Ha ha." "Shh." Michael whispered. Immediately silence washed over them. "We still need to wait for Haki." "Not anymore; I'm already here." Haki's long bangs moved slightly in the wind. Helios held the sacred book in his hands. "Then let's go.what the-?" Helios dropped the book due to the loud, whipping sound the book emitted. The steel seem was removing itself. The book's covers flew open, letting a beam of light shoot into the sky. The ground was pulled out from under their feet, letting them fall into a dizzying swirl of color. "Oof." Troy's head hit a dirt ground. He left his eyes closed, afraid to open them. "Where are we?" he heard Michael say. "We're not on earth anymore, but we're still not on Na Mea." Helios dusted himself off. Troy opened his eyes took hold of his surroundings. They were in the middle of a grass plain, stretching all the way to the eye can see. They had "dropped" (for who could say how they arrived?) next to the only tree he could see. "Hello." The five of then turned their heads around. (Meli was still in shock on the ground.) "Who said that?" Sora whispered. "Me." said a squirrel in the tree. "Whoa." It was easily the biggest squirrel Troy had ever seen. It was twice the size of a regular squirrel and had twice a bushier tail. "We can speak squirrel." "Don't B.S. now, Troy," Helios nudged a limp Meli with his toe. "This squirrel can talk." "And you had better believe it too, you s-" the squirrel would have gone on if Sora had not interrupted. "Umm, could you tell us where we are?" The squirrel became smug. "Why yes, miss, I would." It shot a nasty glance at Troy and Helios before continuing. "You are in Narnia, the land where the Talking beasts roam free. Would you six happen to be sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve?" A pause lingered before Helios started muttering under his breath. "Where the heck is Narnia?" asked Haki. "Obviously in a different dimension." Meli held her head while kneeling on the ground. "I never knew Narnia ever existed. I mean, this great author named C.S. Lewis writes about it in some of his books so I thought." "Lets get out of here." Troy roughly hauled Meli to her feet. "Where's the book?" "Right here." The book looked tiny in Michael's hand. "Then let's go." The ground lurched under Haki's feet before pitching them all into another swirl of colors. Meli moaned.  
*** Michael's feet hit a cobble stone road. The others did the same beside him.  
  
"Oww." Helios leaned against a brick wall and rubbed his ankles. "Oww." "This still isn't Na Mea!" Sora eyed the strange people walking up and down the street. Meli leaned against the same brick wall. "But doesn't this sound familiar? We are standing on the curb of a street. There are people walking around in pointed hats and long robes. There's a shop that sells owls. A shop that sells broomsticks, a shop that says 'Oliver's', a shop that says 'Apothe'-" "Oh, crap!" yelled Helios much to the dismay of several teens in black robes who turned and looked at them. Helios lowered his voice. "Then that means we're in 'Harry Potter's' world!" "Heh, heh. You're darn right!" Meli looked grim. "Maybe these authors have insight mind visions or something.that's pretty cool." "Here's another thing." Pondered Troy. "How come we keep on ending up in all of these other places instead of Na Mea?" "We're bouncing all over the place probably because some one is blocking the portal to Na Mea." Explained Haki. "Come over here." They followed Michael into the small space between two shops. A bright circle began to glow on the ground beyond Michael. Sora held up the book. "Let's go." One by one, they all jumped into the golden ring of light.  
*** "Ugh." Haki opened his eyes to see a light brown ground covered with sand and dust. The sunrise colored the sky pink. "Oh, hey." he brushed dirt off different clothes and when he stood up his twin swords shifted on his back.  
  
30 Haki felt odd standing in this huge desert alone. A mountain range poked out of the flat landscape. Haki started to run toward it. Faster and faster, Haki continued picking up speed. A slight burning sensation began erupting on his forehead. Haki smiled, this was fun. Then he crashed into the rocky side of the mountain. "Ouch!" Haki stumbled backward onto the dusty ground holding his head. "Koa Kamahi?" a brown Tama appeared beside him. Haki abruptly stood up and brushed himself up. "Uh, yeah, please call me Haki." He stuck out a hand and the Tama shook it. "Well then Haki. I'm pleased to meet you. My name's Crit." Crit turned around and started picking at a rock with a hammer and chisel. "I'm really glad you didn't run into my statue, I really appreciate it." Haki looked down at his shoes. They were covered with some kind of metal cover. He snapped his eyes back to the Crit. "Where am I?" Crit kept chiseling away. "Why, you're here, of course. But to give you your exact location; you are on the main island of Na Mea, in the region of Po-Wahi, at the stone gates of Po- Kauhale." Crit scratched his head. "I suppose you had better see Chief Palaunu now, Haki. He doesn't like to wait."  
*** Michael opened his eyes to see a ceiling of black earth. He sat up to see a black Tama looking up at him through green eyes. The hunched being held a drill as a staff in his hand. Michael tried to recollect himself. "H-hi." he couldn't say anymore. The Tama blinked up at him. "Hello, Koa Michael. My name is 'Ele. I am the chief of the underground, mining village of Ao-Kauhale. And that is where you are." 'Ele spread his arms wide. "If you have questions, ask them now."  
  
"Where are the others?" Michael choked out. "Alas.they are not here. But we have traced their trails through the sky. And we have ultimately concluded that your comrades have landed in the regions belonging to their own villages." "So they are safe?" Chief 'Ele shook his head. "All save one, who was shot off course." Michael stood up. "What? Who?" The chief looked grave. "The one was shot off course by one of Inaina's henchmen. This one was heading south, then it landed in the Dead Forest." Michael picked up a long pole leaning in the corner. "Who was the one shot?" 'Ele's brow furrowed. "This one's trail was green."  
*** Sora lifted her head off the ground and opened her eyes. Everything was hazy. She blinked and got her vision back into focus. But where was she? This certainly wasn't Ea-Wahi. In fact, it was far from it. Sora was standing in a forest. Its trees were dead, the tips of its twisted, black branches stretched toward the blue sky like hands withering in agony. They blocked out almost all sunlight. The dark ground was not scattered with leaves or twigs. Animals did not scamper over the large, knotted roots. An eerie, thin fog was scattered throughout the forest. The silence was deafening. "Where am I?" a flicker of blue caught the corner of Sora's eye. "Meli? Is that you?" Sora stumbled in the direction she had seen the color. Then she was tackled from behind. A knife was flashed under her throat. Sora stopped struggling. The attacker spoke in a familiar voice. "What is a young, elfin-maid doing in the Dead Forest, may I ask?" the voice was feminine and soft, but Sora heard a hint of threat in the voice. A hand pinched the nape of Sora's neck. "I know I should let you go.it is my master's wish.but what for?" the hand moved and unsheathed another blade. "I'm curious about what the insides of a wood elf look like." A sharp pain hit Sora's right side. The warmth of her blood spilled onto her arm. The attacker giggled. "Why do you flinch, Koa? It is only a minor cut." a sharp thud resounded in the air and the attacker released her (or his) grip on Sora. Sora put a hand on her side and looked up at a taller, black robed figure. "What are you doing? Artule?" the figure spoke in a deep, soothing voice. "You were supposed to shoot her down, not kill her." Even though the figure blocked Sora's view to Artule, she could still hear her familiar voice. "I did that already. Why are you defending her, boy? That is not your job, your job is to serve our master." Sora took a closer look at the figure. His shoulders were slender as was his arms and back, but the black material could not hide the hard muscle packed within them. Strapped on his back was a strange weapon Sora had never seen before. One end of a wooden pole held a series of synchronized blades. The figure spoke again. "That does not matter anymore!" Sora heard a sword being drawn. "You bastard! Stand aside and let me finish her!" The figure drew his weapon. "Run, Koa. Run as fast as you can and don't look back!" Much to Artule's dismay, Sora struggled to her feet and ran into the gloomy forest. Stumbling and sliding over the roots seemed to do Sora no good to her wounded side. But the loudening footsteps following her told her she was quarry. Sora broke out of the forest and painfully kept running along the edge of a cliff. Looking down, Sora could see the village of Wai- Kauhale and the yellow beach of the sea. Summoning all the energy she had left, Sora flew down to the beach and collapsed onto sand.  
  
31 Sora opened her eyes. She was lying on a woven rush cot that was laid upon the floor of an unlit hut. On the wall hung a stone mask with a lei around it. There was a fishing pole and net waiting next to the door, which was ajar. There was a plaque with a mechanical fish on it hung above the door. Sora instinctively reached toward her side. Somebody had bandaged it up. The door opened, spilling light into the darkened hut. Meli stepped in carrying food, Coleo followed closely. "Oh, hey. You're awake." Meli sat down on a pillow and set the food on the floor. "Umm, could you tell us what happened?" Sora took a bite of blueberry muffin and told them. Coleo and Meli looked at each other and back at Sora. "If what you say is true, then what am I going to do?" Meli bawled. "There's a psycho person out there impersonating me!" Coleo took a piece of muffin and popped it into her mouth. "Methinks yon fraud could still be out in the forest. You could confront her. Oh," Coleo spread her arms wide. "Welcome to my new hut, I used to camp out at Chief Onekama's hut, but I had to move out." "It's nice, Coleo." Sora tried to sit up, but it was too painful. "Ugh, I can't move. How am I supposed to come with you?" "You aren't." Meli enclosed her hand over her bright blue pommel stone. "I'm not going to jeopardize your state of being right now." "No! Wait!" Meli turned to crawl away, but Sora grabbed her ankle. "Who is going with you?" Meli pondered and looked at the blue Tama. "I know! What about you, Coleo? Wanna come with me?" Coleo nodded her head. "Thy has caught me off guard, Meli. But I would be glad to accompany thee to the Dead Forest." "*Sigh*. What am I gonna do?"  
*** Troy opened the door to the study of Wena, the chief of Ahi-Kauhale, the village deep within the lava filled region of Ahi-Puni. Wena was deep in thought, staring at a spot in the gray, stone wall. The walls of the study were covered with Tama Script, the stone floor was covered with a rug and on the rug sat two wooden chairs and a desk. On the desk sat several large, old books bound in cloth and leather. Troy cleared his throat. "Oh, yes. Troy. Have a seat." The red Chief gripped his fire-staff and shuffled to his desk. He sat down behind his desk and touched the tips of his fingers together, letting his staff lean against his knee. "There has been a very curious prophecy going about. It has been determined by the astronomers in every village that the substitute Koa should fall." Troy leaned forward. "As in.?" Wena too, leaned forward. "As in that you shall lose, Koa Troy." He lowered his voice. That the Koa shall be slaughtered by Inaina and his men." Troy leaped out of his seat. "That prophecy will not come true!" He thundered. His hand strayed dangerously to the thick handle of the great, battle-ax strapped to his back. "And that is why you shall fall, Koa." Wena's voice swelled to a forte. "Your temper you shall unleash upon your friends. It will beak the Koa's unity, and will give Inaina a soft spot to divide and conquer. This too, has been foreseen." "What should I do?" Chief Wena unrolled a map of Na Mea and Tomarouv. He pointed to a gray spot. "This is the Dead Forest. The brown and blue Koa is here and the green Koa is at Wai-Kauhale." His finger ran to a blue dot in the sea. His hand smoothed over to the opposite side of the island. "And here is where the black Koa and the white Koa hold conference." Wena's Finger darted southeast. "And here is the great temple of Na Mea. All you Koa are to travel there to receive a message from Inaina."  
*** "Then we should go!" Helios jumped out of his seat. "Of course. This should not be passed up." Chief 'Ele stamped his staff upon the ground. "Take your cloaks and go. The thawing winter can still nip."  
*** When the two arrived, Troy and Haki were already there. Haki ground his foot into the soil. "Gee, what took you guys so long?" Michael looked around. The wood gave way to a wide clearing. In the middle stood a large, round, stone platform with five posts. "Where are Sora and Meli?" Troy shrugged. "I dunno. They never showed up." He looked up into the sky. "Never mind. Here they come." Sora dropped out of the sky like a shot. "Get out of the way!" she let go of Meli's wrists and flew into Michael. Haki ran to Meli. "Are you okay?" Meli sat up and brushed dust off herself. "I am never doing that again. That was scary." "Ha ha.yeah you could've broken your neck." Sora lay flat on her back, winded. She suddenly lifted her hand and pointed at the plat form. "There she is! It's the person who attacked me!" A familiar looking figure walked onto a platform. Troy chuckled humorlessly. "Uh.hey, there's two of you." Haki and Helios glanced at each other and back at the platform. Michael hauled Sora to her feet. "What's going on here?" The figure was Meli.dressed up in the gray officer uniform of the Kayan. The Koa were speechless. There was Meli, standing in her dusty blue ji, and yet another Meli standing on the platform. The Meli on the platform smirked. "Like it?" she put her hands in her pockets and stepped off the platform. Meli stood her ground. "Who are you?" she whispered. "Why, I'm Artule." The other Meli grinned wider. "I'm your clone."  
  
32 Meli tilted her head. "My clone?" Artule took her hand out of her pocket and dropped pocket lint. "Compliments of Dan, the former assassin and now the master of advanced druids." "But you said you were my clone. A human.sort of." Artule laughed. "Ha ha.yeah, I'm your clone. But he revolutionized me. So now I'm not just human, I'm part machine. A cyborg." Troy made a move for his ax, but Haki shook his head. "No." "Why not?" Helios took a step forward. "Artule must carry Inaina's message. If we hurt her she won't talk." Meli furrowed her brow. "Any more surprises?" "There are several. But that's for later. Right now I have to do what my master told me to do. "This is a message from Inaina, the supreme ruler of the riot region of Tomarouv. This message consists of a challenge, one for only three of you Koa. Meli's challenge is for her to travel to the island of Kufana where she gets to fight me, Artule. Michael's challenge comes from mister Dan. Michael has to find Dan's lab and then they get to tear each other up. The last challenge is for Sora, which comes from the grand Inaina himself. Inaina wants Sora to meet him at the very top of Mount Tam.*snicker* and then the wimp has the honor of being walloped-" It took the unchallenged Koa, Troy, Helios, and Haki, to keep Sora under check. Sora was bright red. "What.did.she.say?!" Meli drew her sword. "Leave. Now. This very instant." Artule smirked yet again and turned around casually. "Okay, okay. That was the end of the message anyway.that and you have three days." and she left. Sora smacked Helios' arm. "You can let go now. She's gone." The three gingerly let Sora back on her feet. "Oh, okay."  
*** *sigh* "What's the matter, Sora?" Meli sat down on a fallen log beside Sora. "Inaina's picking on me." Sora cupped her chin in her hands and stared into space. "He's pointing me out and not the rest of you." Meli opened her mouth to speak, but Sora interrupted. "And you know it." Meli took a sigh. "Well.maybe he's got a reason. There's a reason for everything." "You really think so?" "Yeah. Sure. Even if it doesn't make sense." A jerk from the log made them both stand up. Helios grinned. "Sorry to disturb you, but we all have to choose partners." "For what?" "We're splitting up and we have to know that we don't get lost." The three walked to see the southern shore of Na Mea. Troy shrugged. "So.a 'challenged person' get with an 'unchallenged person'." After all the fumbling died down, Michael was stuck with Helios, Sora was stuck with Troy and Meli was stuck with Haki. (Nobody was happy with the results.) Troy was the only one keeping back a laugh. "Oh well, just deal." Sora turned to Haki. "How are you going to get across to Kufana?" Meli smiled. "There's a sandbar that leads all the way over there, and it rarely comes out. But when it does come out it stays for a long time. Chief Onekama told me." Meli pointed to the sunset and looked up at Troy and Michael. "How are you going to get over to Tomarouv?" "Easy. I'll fly, Helios can make an ice bridge and.and." Sora frowned. "Yeah, how are you guys going to get over?" "One of us can ride on the bridge with Helios and the other can be tugged." Michael dropped a log onto the shore. Troy scratched his head. "How?" Michael gestured to the log. "He can ride on that and Helios can tow him with a rope." Helios shook his head. "I have a better idea. How about we scrap the ice bridge and I'll just carry the three of us with my power?" Sora punched the air. "Works for me! I don't have to carry anybody." And so off they went.  
*** Haki and Meli strolled along the sand bar. Fingering their sword hilts and staring at the black water, they wondered how long they had to walk. The stars came out in the absence of the moon. They kept walking like that, walking until they could see land no more. Groan. A deep, rumbling sound shook the wide sandbar. It was like a chunk of metal grinding against rock. Meli put her hands up for balance and looked around. "What was that?" she whispered. Haki unsheathed his twin swords. "I don't know.but it's coming up-" A number of metal things with tons of sharp teeth came tearing out of the water. They thrashed violently onto the sandbar surrounding them front and back. They opened up their wide mouths. "Mano shark!" Meli cried. She drew her own sword. "What are we gonna do?" "Do?" Haki looked all around him. "I've got a plan." Meli eyes the teeth of the nearest Mano shark. "What?" "Sheath your sword and give it to me. Then dive into the water and swim to the other side of the sharks. When you're ready, I'll throw you your sword and we'll attack from two sides." Meli put away her sword and handed the blue leather sheath to Haki. "What about you?" she slowly walked to the edge of the sand bar. Haki sheathed one of his swords when Meli gave him her sword. "I get to be the distraction." A mark appeared on Haki's forehead and started to glow bright brown in the darkness. "Go." He began slashing at the Mano sharks with blinding speed. Meli dived into the water and swam several feet ahead before climbing onto the sandbar. She gathered all the water that soaked her into a bright blue ball and sent it into the backs of some Mano. They slid, shrieking, into the water. Meli cupped her hands around her mouth. "Haki!" her sword came spinning out of the sky. Being the bad catcher that she was, Meli stepped back a few feet and let it drop to the ground before picking it up and unsheathing it. Mano sharks slipped into the water right and left leaving behind bits and pieces of scrap metal.  
  
33  
  
"Look at that!" Sora glided along and pointed at dark, foreboding thunderclouds. The four could see continuous flashes of red lightning and hear the faint, booming thunder. The water underneath the clouds churned and rose in black waves. The thunder grew louder as they approached the cloud. Crack! They all covered their ears. "Is there any other way through?" Troy yelled over the terrible noise. Michael turned his head right and left, and then he shook his head. "Nope. We'll just have to go through." Sora drifted down from above. "But we'll get shocked." her eyes darted here and there as lightning flashed everywhere. "And we have swords." Helios stroked his chin. "That's right. That'll attract the thunder-" "Lightning." Michael corrected. "Whatever. Same difference." Troy took off his cloak and unstrapped his battle-ax. He began wrapping his ax in his cloak. "I'll just use my power of shielding and we'll be fine." He strapped his ax back on. Helios turned around in the air. "It'll protect all of us, right? Not just you?" Troy nodded "Yeah, sure. As long as we stick together. The shield can't exactly stretch you know what I mean?" Sora peered into the net of lightning. Land. She could see it. The black sand scattered on the tiny beach was so far away, however. Swoosh. A small noise perked up Sora's deer-shaped ears. When she looked up into the cloud and saw nothing living, she drifted over and tugged at Michael's sleeve. "What is it?" Sora's eyes still scanned to sky. "Did you hear that?" Michael looked up. "Hear what? Is something wrong?" Swoosh. "There it was again!" Helios scratched his head. "I dunno, Sora. There's nothing but the thunder." Troy pointed to the south. "There's that." A dark shape with wings flapped toward them. It flew awkwardly, like one of its wings were broke. It screeched. Sora tilted her head. "It's hurt." "We also don't know what it is." Mumbled Helios. "Let's avoid it." The thing, whatever it was, suddenly dropped into the sea. They all fell silent. What happened to it? To answer their silent question, the figure shot out of the very water below them, stretched its wings, and opened its mouth to screech. Troy's fore head began to glow bright red. A red-orange, transparent material encircled them all into one sphere. The creature smacked itself into it. "What's a dragon doing here?" The dragon launched another barrage, throwing the sphere into the storm. Lightning struck the shield and ricocheted down into the water. The thunder was deafening. Then the dragon stopped attacking. All was still. The four looked around. Helios shrugged. "Oh well." They moved through the storm. Crack. The sphere shook violently, and then Troy's shield crumbled and fell.  
*** "Haki! Are you okay?" Haki stood up and patted wet sand off his jeans. "Yeah. What about you?" "I'm fine." Meli had reattached her sword to her belt. Haki started jogging down the shore. "Good. 'Cause you owe me a rematch." Meli tried to catch up with him, but found herself unable to. She tilted her head. "Why?" Haki laughed. "You won me at one fight, so now I'm asking for another." "Okay. It's only fair."  
*** Helios was the only one who didn't panic. "From the pan into the fire- full speed ahead!" Troy restored the shield and took a head count. "Where's Sora?" Michael pointed upward. "Up there!" "Uh oh." Sora plunged and careened in the storm with dizzying speed. She zigzagged in the air, dodging lightning and spinning into the thick, wet clouds to try and shake the dragon. Rain flew into her eyes and the wind chilled her to the bone. "Somebody help me!!" she yelled. Helios looked up and saw the dragon tailing Sora with a distance of only a foot separating them. "Okay, guys. We gotta do something." "Alright. What?" Helios bit his lip. Troy shook his head. "We can't do anything. We're like sitting ducks out here. Even though Helios can move stuff with his mind (like us) we can never fly as fast as Sora can. Yeah, you and Michael could shoot stuff at the dragon, but we can't see through the rain, we might hit Sora. And in order to throw something I'd need to tear down the shield." Michael looked up to the sky. "So the only thing we can do is hope for the best." "We could reach land and help her from there-" Helios moved them south with more speed. "Why didn't you say so?" Sora led a twisted path in the air, knowing how close the dragon was. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."  
*** "It's really tiring.babysitting you" Inaina sat in his throne. The boy whom Artule confronted kneeled on the floor. Chains clanked underneath his black robes. "You know that is a capitol offense; denouncing me. My, my, what your father would think." The boy stirred. Inaina smiled behind his mask. "Yes.your father was very faithful to me. I liked him. He amused me. Of course your father followed me, unlike you. He was very ambitious.he would be today. In exchange for his death he gave me you, his only son." Inaina leaned down. "Because you misbehave like this, boy.I refuse to give you a name." Inaina straitened up and chuckled. "Ah yes, now for your punishment. Since defying is a capitol offence it needs a capitol punishment.but I'll go easy on you this time; corporal punishment, flogging." Kanaka giggled. He grabbed the back of the boy's robes and dragged him out of the chamber.  
*** The steady cracks of a whip stopped. Kanaka chained the boy to the wall so he was in a sitting position. Then the servant bowed and left, leaving the door ajar. Then someone else stepped in, her hands in her pockets. "Artule!" the boy's voice was hoarse. "Well, well." Artule smirked down at him. "Look at you. 'hero'.your body is broken and bleeding. You're shivering and quite dirty-" The boy struggled against his chains trying to stand up. Artule put her foot to his chest and pushed him back to the ground. "Sit down." Artule watched the boy's breath come out in clouds. "Ya see? This is what you get for defending that girl when you were supposed to kill her.it's not worth it." The boy looked away. "Leave me alone." He mumbled. "Nah.not yet." Artule's eyes were mirror-like. They did not resemble her counterpart's. "You don't look like your twin." Artule shrugged. "She's not my twin. But yeah, Dan altered her genes so me eyes and my bangs would be slightly different. Only enough so he could tell a difference. It's crazy, really, how he made me. And what he made me with." The boy looked up. "You're not only a cyborg, are you? There's one more thing." "That's right, but I'm not gonna tell you. That's a secret." Artule turned away and stepped out the door. "Oh, I get to fly tonight." "What?" "Nothing."  
  
Part 2  
  
?????????????  
  
35 The only sign of Sora's status was a green streak shooting strait to the shore of Tomarouv. "Where are those guys?" "Hey Sora!" Troy stood on the shore unwrapping his ax. "Bring him over here!" he dug his toes in the coarse sand and swung his ax over his head like a bat. Helios stepped back. "Make sure you don't hit it with the flat of your ax."  
  
Troy grinned as he swung the wide, double-bladed ax. "Heh heh. Don't worry, I'll get it." Michael stood a few yards behind Troy. "I dunno you guys, we might get Sora." "Hey.I know!" Helios' hands and forehead started to glow pale white. "I'll shoot it first. Then it'll slow down." "That's a good idea." Michael groaned. The dragon screeched as Sora flew lower. She shot up. "Now!" The dragon shivered and groaned as the icicle hit home. Sora flew to the ground. The dragon followed. "Here's the pitch." Helios stepped even further back. "And now young Troy gives a swing-" The gross sound that followed reminded everybody of a chunk of meat being brutally stabbed (or sliced) by a kitchen knife.  
*** Haki, Troy, and Helios gathered around the dragon's mutilated body. "Cooool." Muttered Helios. Troy stared at the blood on his ax. "Yep. Admire my handiwork." He took a closer look at his blade. "Hey! This dragon has purple blood!" Haki ran over. "Let me see!" Michael stood over the dragon's head. The eyelids were slightly open, revealing yellow eyes. Unwilling to touch the creature, Michael lifted his foot and pulled the eyelid open with his heel. He staggered backward. "This.It.There's no pupil in the eye!!" Troy and Helios sprinted over. "Let me see!" Indeed, the bloodshot, yellow orb had no sign of any pupil. Troy shivered when he saw the sight. "Okay, that's enough. Leave the eyeless, purple-blooded dragon alone. Let's move on already." Sora brushed sand off her jeans. "That doesn't look much like a dragon."  
*** Artule gasped and bolted upright in her chair. Dan came over and unclipped a wire from the nape of her neck. "Somebody needs training, eh Artule?" Artule sighed and lay back down. "It was bound to happen." "Mmm." Dan turned away and lifted a spark torch. "What are you working on?" Dan pulled down his mask. "Oh, just some new android for old Inaina. I got my work laid out for me; this one's real complicated." "Even more complicated than me?" Artule tilted her head, not knowing whom she was imitating. Dan chuckled. "He he, why Artule.you overestimate me. I have never constructed a more complicated being than you. And that is not about to change." Dan paused. "It is too bad about your other body though. Demon's dragons are so rare nowadays.especially since people are still hunting them." Artule nodded and shrugged. "Why don't you get samples of the D.N.A.? It shouldn't hurt." Dan lifted his mask and stared unseeingly at Artule. "I already did that, young one. That's just plain common sense. By the way, don't you have somewhere to go by now?"  
*** Golden rays of light shot out over the sky, coloring it a reddish-orange color as the sun peeked over the horizon. Sea gulls screeched out at each other as they flew up and circled in the sky. Small clouds littered the sky here and there. Had Haki and Meli not be so nervous, they would have noticed as they trudged onto the sandy shore of Kufana. Meli cupped her hands and shouted out. "Artule!" "I'm already here." A familiar figure stepped out from behind a rocky outcrop. She waved a hand to the sunrise. "Beautiful, isn't it." She said flatly. "Enjoy it 'cause it might be the last one you see." Meli drew her sword, saluted, and set a stance. "Let's go." Artule drew her sword and swung it high above her head. Clang. Meli withdrew from the lock and set her attack. Kaboom. As the sand settled down, there was no Artule to be seen. "Where are you?" Meli called. Artule's insane giggle echoed within the forest. "Is that the best you can do?" Meli quickly detached her scabbard from her light blue belt. She tossed it to Haki before running into the forest. "Stay here." Haki was left to stand there.hopelessly watching Meli's figure disappear into the trees.  
*** "Sora.Sora, wake up." Troy cautiously prodded Sora's shoulder. "C'mon Sora. We don't have all day." Helios tore off a piece of trekking bread. "Dude, why even bother? We still have two days." "Yeah, only two days. Which is why I want to get going." "Pessimist." Michael muttered. Troy suddenly held Sora's ear between his forefinger and thumb. "Now she's gotta wake-" Sora's hand came up, neatly slapping Troy in the side of his head before laying back down at her side. "Ouch." Laughed Helios, pointing to an appearing red mark on Troy's face. "Oh man. Look at that! That's classic!" Michael shook and lowered his head, unable to keep a smile off his face. "Ha Ha." Troy watched in silent defeat as Sora uneventfully rolled over in her sleep. "So she has instant reflex actions, so what?" Michael sighed. "Actually, it's not everyday you see a reflexes like that. I mean most people would miss, right?" Helios slowly composed himself. "Hmm."  
*** Sora could not wake up. Not now anyway. She walked through a city's marketplace. All around her people scurried to and fro. Bartering for food and bolts of cloth at wide, wooden stands. Between the stands were the wooden doors of houses and businesses, like a bakery or a tailor's, or a blacksmith's. Sora was following a man. He was dressed in a navy blue cloak. His hood was not up, revealing his dark brown hair. He carried a great scimitar upon his back and was at least nine inches taller than Sora. Sora did not know why she was following him. But there was an air about him, like he was hiding something big. Sora followed him out the city gates. Then a mule's nose hit her shoulder. "Ouch." Sora stepped back. The mule hit her shoulder again. "Ouch. Stop it!" Sora stepped back again. Then, to Sora's amazement, the mule began to talk. "Wake up, Sora!" "Huh?"  
*** Sora opened her eyes to see Troy prodding her shoulder. "I said 'wake up!'" Smack. There were now two red hand marks on Troy's face. "What did you do that for?" Troy doused his face with water. "You woke me up." Sora bit off a piece of trekking bread. "Oh well, should we go?"  
*** The pass of Gaupem was a narrow trail that had pit holes in it. There was a rotting narrow sign to the right of it. The letters looked like they were carved in with a knife. "Ugh, I can't read it." Sora squinted at it. Helios squatted down. "That's okay." He scratched his head. "Okay, let's see. 'Mount DeTa.' And there's an arrow pointing up." Helios pointed up the vertical rock wall. "I guess Inaina wants to fight Sora at the peak." "I.guess." Sora whispered. She furrowed her brow and a green light began to glow on her forehead. "We'll see you guys later." Troy's mark shone bright red on his forehead. He drew his battle-ax. Using his ax as an output, he forced fire to explode toward the ground, boosting him up the mountainside. Inaina leisurely sat in a makeshift throne. He was dressed in his usual black robe and wore a mask of slowly rusting silver. Sora and Troy lightly landed on the edge of a fighting ring. The top of the Mount DeTa was shaved off to serve as a ring. Inaina turned his head, as if just noticing them, and stood up. "Ah.yes.so you arrive.at noon." Indeed, the sun's heat beat down upon the three from its zenith. "Wait; do not draw you sword. I want to talk to you first.Sora." Inaina spoke Sora's name painfully, like he waited for this. Inaina jerked his head back. "Come here." Sora suddenly stood in front of Inaina without moving a muscle. Inaina started to walk around Sora. "Hmm. You look just like her. All the way down to the ears." Sora started. "Like who?"  
36 Inaina sat back down in his throne. "You mean you don't know?" "Know what?" Inaina leaned forward. "That your family is not your family." "What?" This seemed to amuse Inaina. "Oh, you heard me. It was perfectly clear. Here, let me give proof. "For one, your ears are not human. They are far from it. Your features are not of your parents, nor of your aunts and uncles, nobody. There is zero connection between you and your family when it comes to heredity." Sora shifted her weight. "You can't prove that." Inaina lifted a hand. "Please, I'm on a roll. "You have this feeling. You have it now, as we speak. You can't explain it and you can't describe it, but you've had this feeling ever since you've first stepped onto this land. Am I correct?" Sora slowly nodded her head. "That, dear girl, is the very land itself. The land here pulses of its very own life beat. It pulses off a certain magic, and it pulses to give you that feeling." Inaina paused and took a few deep breaths. "The land is trying to tell you that you belong here, that you were born here, that your real family is here." "Then who are my real parents?" Inaina shook his head. "It is not my place to tell you. However, is you defeat me this once I will direct you to them. Fair?" Sora slowly nodded. "Well then we should very well get to the point of this meeting." A black scimitar materialized in Inaina's right hand. "Terms!" yelled Troy. Both Sora and Inaina started. "Hmph. Very well." Inaina stabbed his scimitar into the rock and crossed his arms. "This shall be a freestyle match with no seconds and no protective gear whatsoever. It will be fought in three inconsecutive rounds, winner best two out of three. The loser in each round is determined by first blood-draw from the abdomen. Winner decides the fate of Na Mea!" Inaina drew his scimitar from the stone. "Ready?" Sora drew her sword and ran flat out into a charge. "Go!"  
*** "I'm tired." Helios stifled a yawn. "Stop being such a baby." "Am not. It's bad enough we had to double back though a boring fog just to meet a mad scientist in some gloomy castle chock full of little machines." Helios pointed to a rotting drawbridge. "Where do you think that leads?" Michael shrugged. "To a gloomy castle chock full of little machines." The two started walking across it. "Says who?" "Says a little sign I saw a while back. 'Welcome to Kauha. Trespassers beware.'" They walked into the courtyard. It was heavily blanketed with fog. "Where is everybody?" Helios looked around the deserted courtyard. "You think they'd show some security." Michael peeked around an empty stable. "Not one sentry or patrol guard in sight." He shook his head. "Oh well, if I were a mad scientist where would I hide?" he took the end of his pole and rapped it on the side of the main castle, putting his ear to it and traveling a few feet to the right to repeat the process. Helios gave a short whistle to get Michael's attention and pointed at an abnormal stone in the wall. There was an awkward pause. "Dude. Common sense." Michael composed himself and stepped on front of the stone. "Can you see behind it?" Helios grinned. "Oh yeah, sure. Piece of cake." He rubbed his hands together as his symbol glowed bright white on his forehead. "It's some type of door." "Is there anything behind it?" "No.it leads down a flight of stairs into a hall.and then that leads into a room-a big room." "How big?" Helios glanced up at Michael. "Big enough to house tons of cool equipment, more equipment, living quarters and still have enough room to have a fight." Helios held up glowing hands. "Should I freeze the rock?" "Go ahead." The door was soon frozen inside out. Michael's symbol shone bright on his head as he smashed through the rock. The two walked down the hall and emerged to find themselves in a room whose volume could easily rival that of a cathedral's. A lot of long, operation tables lined the two walls farthest to them and the third held miscellaneous mechanical tools, parts, computer chips, and jars that held weird substances in a jumble on several shelves. In the middle of the room there was a man with a spark torch in his hand. He was leaning over an operating table. When the two walked in, he looked up and quickly covered the operating table with a white sheet. Then he gently pushed the table until it was neatly parked in an unoccupied space. He then turned around and addressed them. "Welcome, gentlemen. So it has come to my attention that you have found my laboratory. What can I do for you?" Michael furrowed his brow. "You challenged me to a duel?" The man wiped his grimy hands on a piece of cloth in thought. "Oh.yes.of course. Totally forgot about that-my name is Dan." Dan made a fancy bow and put his hands behind his back. "I'm going to take off my mask.savvy?" Michael nodded as Dan pulled off his pitted and slowly rusting mask. Helios stepped back in alarm. "Oh, shi-" Dan set his mask down and spread his arms wide. "Well, what d'ye lads think, eh. I'm in a darn right fix if ye ask me." Dan's skin was pale, the roots of his hair was silvery-white, and his eyes were a milky color; Dan was blind. Gross skin covered his nostrils like little pillows. "You want to know what happened to me?" Michael held his stomach. "I'm not sure." But Dan began anyway.  
*** "Thirteen years ago I was an assassin. The best mercenary money could hire. But Inaina and I decided to do something more with our lives, so our father suggested we set our sights on world domination. ("What kind of father is that?" muttered Helios.) "We both had our different views on how to get an army, so I went my way and Inaina went to our father, 'A'ohe Mea, for an army. I went to the Abyss for my army. The Abyss is where the demons dwell. It was the perfect army.still is, in fact. Thousands upon thousands of trained soldiers and dragons, waiting for me to lead them. We marched south toward the Village of Willow. It was a planned siege, but was thwarted by an army of men and myth creatures. Sir Kei, a man, led them. At the charge, he killed me with a short slash through the chest." Dan then cursed Sir Kei's scimitar under his breath. "My army fled when they saw me fall.naturally. The wounded demons' blood spilled out, mingling with mine, so now I have the blood of a demon. It kept me alive, (I don't think Sir Kei knows I'm still living) but at a price. I can no longer experience the five senses. taste, touch, see, hear, and smell.alas, no more. But I can sense your presence using the shadow world of the disabled. "Sir Kei was then one hundred seasons old. (Twenty-five for you math- disabled people.) He was happily married to the daughter of Willow's Patriarch. Before the battle I decided to poison him, as I am an assassin.the poison worked and his daughter was chosen as his only successor. I found out about her and Kei's only daughter, the child was only a week old. I began making plans to kill it. "But the new Matriarch found out (Doesn't miss a trick, that one.) so she and her Husband decided that it was not safe for her here, not while I was around, so with heavy hearts they sent their only child to Earth using a portal. Sir Kei became a wandering ranger, but he visits his wife in Willow twice every year.and visits the city of Trough too. With nothing to do I too, wandered but Inaina discovered my existence and sent for me at once to build custom androids." Michael held his pole at ready. "Then you built Artule, right?" "Yes." "Then what is she made of?" Helios' voice sounded from the doorway. Dan rubbed his white hands together until his knuckles started cracking like fireworks. "That I'll tell you. She is made.  
*** ".Of human genetics and machinery." Artule whipped a figure eight at the shoulder. "An ordinary cyborg." Meli gave a parry. "You told me there was something else."  
Artule grinned. "You see, Dan constructed a body, he needed a soul to control it.a different mind. He wanted a person unlike you. That's where I come in. He rooted me out and had me exchange bodies." Meli narrowed her eyes. "Then who are you?" Artule straitened up. "I am the soul of a demon's dragon." Meli was lost for words. Artule laughed. "Earlier I attacked your friends in my original body, needless to say I had to discard it." Meli neatly cut Artule across the stomach. Red blood poured down as Artule put a hand to her wound. Spurt. Meli gasped in pain as the same cut appeared on her middle. "Why?" "Because we are connected." Artule explained. "Whatever happens to this body happens to yours." She grinned. "So now, Koa, how are you going to defeat me without dying yourself."  
  
37 "Helios, we have a problem!" Helios looked around for the source of the voice. Finding none, his attention wandered back to the fight between Michael and Dan. "Helios!" Helios looked around. "Who's there?" "It's me, Haki. Since we both have physic powers I thought we could communicate with each other." Helios put two fingers to his temple and felt a burning sensation on his forehead. "Okay man, what's up?" "Artule is a demon!" "Uh, Yeah man. That rocks. Look, Haki, Dan told us himself. We know what you know too.and maybe a little bit more, but we already know about the dragon thing too-" "Why are you taking this so lightly?" Helios hesitated. "Uh." "Never mind. Look, I want you to talk to Chief Kea and Chief Palauna right now!" "Now? But Michael's in the middle of a fight!" "Don't leave. Just direct us to him, I'll tap, we'll talk-" "But we won't understand him." "There is no language when it comes to the physic mind." "Okay." "Hello?" "Hello?" Helios cleared his throat. "Hi Chief Kea.Chief Palauna. Umm Haki.Haki and I would like to talk to you both." Palauna's voice sounded in Helios' head. "Why certainly. What is it you want to know?" Haki's voice was urgent. "Meli's body and Artule's body are rigged so that one can't hit the other without doing the damage to themselves. Is there anything I can do?" For once, everybody could understand Kea's clicks. "Indeed, there is. You can step in. You are Koa. All six of you were meant to fight as a team.together. Not alone." Helios bit his lip. "But there are three enemies, in three different places. We can't fight together when we're split apart." "For different problems there are different solutions." Palauna's voice was calm. "I have one theory; the Aura." Helios scratched his head. "What's an Aura?" "I myself do not know what it looks like, but I know that it can be achieved. If one of you Koa wakes up some source of sleeping power, some sort of strong light will emit from them." Haki took this all in. "Then Meli can defeat Artule and live?" Kea's clicks resounded. "Alas. It is only temporary. It will go away when all is done for you to reawaken." Haki sighed. "It's okay. Bye. Chief Palauna.Chief Kea." The connection with the chiefs closed. Helios grinned. "Then Sora can defeat Inaina then, right? With this Aura thing-" "Sora doesn't know about it." Haki interrupted.  
*** "You learn fast, Koa." Inaina held out his black scimitar. "But not fast enough. I could have killed you five times over with the errors I saw. Who taught you?" Sora held her sword in front. "Meli." Inaina chuckled. "I myself taught Artule the art of saber fighting. If you have managed to last this long with me at ease then how do you think Meli herself is doing? I have to admit; you have faster reflexes than she. Tell you what, I'll give you a free lesson." Inaina lunged forward. "On guard miss, have at ye!" Steel clanged upon steel as Sora and Inaina fenced on the mountaintop. "Step, step, thrust! Now step, step, swing counter! Tsk tsk, poor counter. Here, let me show you." Inaina slashed Sora's left arm. Sora dropped her sword in alarm. "Hmph. Poor form. Go on, bandage it." He watched Sora rip her sleeve and tie it in the wound for a crude bandage. Inaina smirked behind his mask. "Now pick up your sword and let's begin again. "One and two and thrust and parry! Backstep side swing!" Inaina smugly slapped Sora's right forearm hard with the flat of his blade. Sora dropped her sword again. "The blade is an extension of the hand.so keep it flexible." Troy clenched and unclenched his large hands. "That's not how you teach saber fighting!" Inaina turned his head. "Well it's the way I'll teach it to her; you do something wrong you get punished." He turned back to Sora. "Now pick up your sword.and we'll finish the 'lesson'." Sora picked up her sword. "Counter, step, step, figure of eight at shoulder level.good! Feet never flat, up, up!" with a quick movement Inaina disarmed Sora, sending her sword flying point first into the forests of Willow. Inaina's black scimitar point appeared at Sora's throat. "And now, the 'lesson' is over. For now you have no sword."  
*** Meli gave as good as she got. "What are you doing?" she lowered her sword and watched Artule's feet. "What?" "Your footwork is all wrong. You're stepping to me like mirror image. That's wrong." As Meli stepped left to right, Artule stepped right to left. "See. Now when I step with my right foot you step with yours.very good. Now-" they both launched into another fight. They turned up the sand and twigs underfoot. Steel flashed and clanged as swords were brought down upon each other. Artule was not bothered about her long time error. "You kill me and you die. But I am half machine, I can survive with mortal wounds.you cannot." "So?" "What I plan to do, you dork, is slay you, put on an extra set of your clothes that Inaina issued me so I look like you, infiltrate your Koa friends and massacre them in their sleep." Artule whispered so that Haki could not hear her. Meli lowered her head. "What are you gone do, Koa of water? It's either you or your friends. Do you have the heart to kill me? You'll die." Meli screwed up her face. "So be it." She lunged forward and stabbed Artule through the middle with her sword. "Arggh!" Artule with drew the sword and stumbled backward as crimson exploded forth, spraying Meli's sword, hands, and ji with blood. Meli collapsed into the ground covered in her own blood. She had acquired Artule's fatal wound. "Meli!" Haki heard Artule's yell. "Over.here." It was getting harder for Meli to breathe. "Meli! Oh shi^! Does it hurt?" Haki hoisted Meli up and supported her as they walked to the seashore. "It hurt a lot.but.now it doesn't.hurt as much." "Crap, Meli, you're dying!" Meli's eyes started to hurt as her pupils began to dilate. "Your right.what am I.going to do?" "I.well.there's something called an Aura, it could probably help." Meli could feel no pain whatsoever, yet she could feel the warmth of her blood spilling out. "How.do-" "It comes out when you awaken some source of hidden power." Meli could feel her body losing heat. "Put me.in the water." "What?" "Just do it.now." Haki led Meli into the shallows. "What are you going to do?" Meli walked into the deeper water. "I don't know myself. but if this works I'll see you later." Meli presently submerged her head in the water. Her symbol shone light blue on her forehead. Meli fell into a deep sleep.  
*** Sora flew in the sky as fast as she could. Long, gooey black arms of who knows what chased behind her like snakes. Inaina chuckled. "Like my weapon, Sora? It's dark mass. It can change into anything I want.be anything I want." The Mass encircled Sora and pulled her back to Earth, slamming her into the mountaintop in the process. As the smoke cleared, Sora opened her eyes to see the walls of a crater surrounding her. White-hot pain flooded through her body as she got to her feet. "How come none of my bones are broken?" Inaina grinned behind his mask. "Because you are connected to the Mana Koa; they protect you. You know, I'm getting tired of this, come here." A rope of dark mass shot strait at Sora, encircling her neck and pulling her towards Inaina. "Urggh. Let go of me." The dark mass held Sora a few feet off the ground. A black scimitar materialized in Inaina's right hand. "I need help." Sora whispered. "Well then." A voice using Ea-Kauhalean slang popped into her head. "I'll give a hardluck lifedawn like you some help." Sora had never seen the light from her symbol glow as bright before.  
*** Dan was dead. Michael sighed. "Glad that's done." Helios yawned. "Well you're the Koa of earth. You have the power of strength. That was an easy win." "Hey!" A blast of bluish-green light lit up the chamber. Helios covered his eyes. "Aah! I'm blind!" "Oh, shut up." Michael ran out of the castle gates and looked south. He was lost for words. "Hey, wait up!" Helios ran up to him. "What are you looking.at." A bright green beam of light shot up into the red sky from the top of Mount DeTa. "Whoa." Michael turned around. "A blue one." a blue beam shot into the sky in the north.  
*** "Sora!" Troy tossed Sora her sword. "It was stuck in a tree. (Nice tractor beam?)" He eyed the beam of light. "A little light is not going to hurt me." Inaina shot pools of dark mass at Sora. But when they touched the light, they turned into dust. Sora held her sword at ready. "Let's have one last round." Inaina's scimitar was summoned again. "Fine by me." Clang. The two circled each other, their sword tips whipped around dangerously in the dance of death. Inaina suddenly swung his blade at head level. As Sora crouched down to avoid it, she swung her sword and neatly cut across Inaina's abdomen. Troy pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! I-I mean; .Good job." Sora straitened up as the voice entered her head. "That was an everquick lowduck, lifedawn. I am happy to help a good-hearted person such as you." The voice faded with the beam, which slowly faded and died. The symbol on Sora's head crept back onto sleep. "I am not finished with you!" Inaina's voice was murderous. "I hate people like you! You half-breed!" Sora was taken back. "What.did you call me?" Inaina was furious. "As promised I will tell you what you wanted to know. Your mother is a citizen of the village of Willow. But I myself do not know where you father is. Good bye." Inaina vanished with a violent explosion. "What?" Sora blinked. Troy crossed his arms. "We get to go to Willow to find your mom.Cool." Sora cleaned her sword and sheathed it. "Then let's go!!" She took a running leap off the cliff.  
  
38 Meli opened her eyes to a wooden ceiling. She tried to sit up, but was unable to because the pressure drop was too much for her head. Turning over to her right, she saw a welcome sight. "Sora, wake up." Sora stirred. "Oh you're awake." She paused. "Ha ha ha ha ha- no, stop. You know I'm ticklish. Oww, okay, stop hitting me. Why are you-?" "Because you could've died, you idiot! And I would've never seen you again." Meli took some food from her bedside table. "I did what I had to do." She took a big bite of a cookie. "How long have I been asleep?" "Two days." "No wonder I'm so hungry." Meli reached for a blueberry muffin. "You idiot." Sora sighed. Meli brushed crumbs out of the bed. "Where are we?" "We're in the village of Willow. Guess what?" "What?" Sora pulled Meli up by her white shirt. "I am the daughter of a Matriarch!" "What?" Sora unknowingly let go of Meli and let her slide off the bed. "My mom is a pure-blood elf!" Meli gave a thumbs-up from the floor. "Coolie! I'm really happy for you, I honestly am, but could you help me up? The wood floor is really cold and I discovered I can't move my legs just yet." "Oops! Sorry."  
*** Michael, Haki and Eagle were sitting at a table. Eagle's daughter, Krystol, was sitting in his lap. Michael leaned back in his chair. "How old are you Krystol?" Krystol had long, brown hair and bright, brown eyes. She fingered her father's slingshot. "I'm ten years old." Haki nodded. "She has your ears." Krystol absentmindedly fingered her deer-shaped ears. "My mom is a fairy." Haki slowly nodded again. "Cool. So you're half Fairy and half Elfin?" "Yeah." Michael cupped his face in his hands. "So, Eagle. Whose your wife?" Eagle set Krystol on the ground. "Go play with Maulena and them. My wife's name is Nihi, she's the one of the village's healers."  
*** Maulena tossed an acorn at Ickerus. "Catch." The brown squirrel caught it and cracked it in half with his teeth. Kilikina smiled. "Heh heh. That looks painful." Maulena sighed. "I'm bored. Oof." Krystol pounced on Maulena. "Hi Mau. Let's play!" Mau laughed. "Okay." Krystol climbed on her back and Mau started walking to the village.  
  
The End 


End file.
